God is With You Always
What are your reasons for worry or fear when God is with us? As Deuteronomy 31 verse 8 states,
And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.
He will never forsake or abandon you; don’t feel afraid or disheartened as everything He promises us can be found in these two simple phrases: He won’t abandon or leave you.
When life seems overwhelming, God will always be with you. Even when things appear dire or depressing, remember that He’s there and let Him handle everything else for you. Trust in the Lord; allow Him to handle the rest.
Life may bring us heartache, pain, and situations that cause us to question what is happening around us. These moments often leave us feeling helpless and frail – as believers we must remember that without Jesus Christ’s strength and protection provided through the Holy Spirit, we will only suffer more greatly than needed.
Heartache can destroy us without faith, hope, and knowledge that Jesus Christ fought the grave so that we are equipped to confront life’s difficulties. Without Him it would be impossible; with Him everything is possible.
We have been blessed to serve an unbounded, limitless God who commands absolute authority over everything and everyone – no matter their size or background. His word shows His might and authority over everything and everyone. He created heavens and Earth from nothing, divided the Red Sea between itself and itself, and gave Nature no choice but to obey him.
He gave Daniel’s den of hungry lions orders not to harm Daniel and they obeyed. Likewise, He sent Jonah off into a large fish’s belly for three days and three nights without harm and it complied. Pharaoh couldn’t stand against his king nor Goliath could overthrow God’s power.
Baal prophets weren’t able to compete against our powerful Lord; Satan has been defeated and will remain so since our God is all-powerful and no one will stand against Him.
God is our Father and He deserves our joy in response to events around us; what could go wrong if He is our Lord?
When we need divine strength from above, we can turn to God for help. His power and wisdom know no boundaries or restrictions – He never ceases in loving patience and mercy towards all His creation.
Psalm chapter 145, verses 8 to 9 tell us that God is gracious and merciful towards everyone He creates; His kindness extends through all He does.
The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.
The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.
God can go far beyond human capabilities; therefore, do not hesitate to turn to the Lord when your mountain appears daunting. God is an amazingly powerful god who can conquer mountains, break seas, communicate with nature, and shut the mouths of hungry Lions when necessary.
I believe that God wants us to focus our minds on the present rather than worrying about what might come our way in the future. Don’t waste your precious moments worrying about what might occur tomorrow – make the most out of each momentous day you have been granted. You should cherish every second and moment as it passes by.
One pastor noted, “Don’t borrow trouble,” which is a great piece of advice. That means we won’t need to worry about potential difficulties that could come our way – such as illness, financial difficulty, or any number of issues we could come across in life. Don’t borrow money to get through these moments – be a believer instead!
Therefore, I strongly urge you today to remain aware of your spiritual environment by remembering Psalm 118 verse 24
This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
When we let worries and anxiety control us, our minds become less capable of adapting, leading to destructive and enslaving thoughts that distract us from God instead of Him being in charge of everything that may happen in life; they focus instead on possibilities we don’t control like what could happen tomorrow; yet He does control everything via His Son Jesus Christ who lives among us today!
God is All-Powerful and All-Knowing
Consider that God, who created both heavens and Earth, is watching over us at this very moment. He’s intimately involved in every situation we face. He knows all possibilities that could occur and warns against fear – instead encouraging faith that He can determine what’s most beneficial for us and defeat Satan at last! Love will prevail and Darkness will disappear altogether.
No matter the circumstances of life on earth, God remains sovereign over everything that transpires within His creation – regardless of whether we realize it or not. God knows all aspects of our planet from its inception until its inevitable demise – He can’t be caught off-guard by anything! In His infinite knowledge, He knows everything there is to know about Earth from its inception until its inevitable demise – He holds ultimate control.
Psalm 37:25 says it all:
I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken,
nor his seed begging bread.
I truly believe this.
Faith verses can help build and renew our faith during times of difficulty, inspiring us to believe even when life seems impossible. While it’s easy to feel alone or abandoned by God, He never leaves us stranded or abandoned us completely – He can rescue us instantly but often chooses other means instead.
Sometimes He allows us to go through difficult waters before helping us emerge on the other side. But this doesn’t mean He has abandoned us; rather it means He has an even grander plan he has yet to reveal.
Stress and anxiety can be one of the greatest threats you face in life. In any given circumstance, there will always be things within our control that cause us to worry; yet, other matters might seem beyond your reach and thus be sources of anxiety for you.
Stressful feelings can quickly engulf us, yet Jesus advised against becoming anxious or fearful of what may lie ahead; in one of His teachings, he advised against dwelling too heavily on future affairs as this will take care of itself. Instead, he taught that we should live fully in each present moment while remaining content with what there was today and having an optimistic and joyful mindset toward life itself.
Spending your energy and time worrying will only heighten the uncertainty or discomfort in your life, increasing anxiety or distress. Worry is all about “ifs”, like money not available or no treatment being available when an issue comes up. Instead, choose to embrace gratitude to God for what you already have today while acknowledging His goodness even while waiting for miracles to unfold in your life.
Your attitude should reflect gratitude toward God for what He has provided for you – even if there are things you are still working to obtain. Whatever has been accomplished magnifies Jesus Christ instead of magnifying your problems.
Matthew 6 verses 25 to 27 states,
Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
Matthew 6:34 further states this truth by declaring,
Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
Anxious believers might pray and say to themselves: ‘God, stay with me as I face this storm.” In contrast, believers with faith who experience anxiety might ask: ‘But Lord, what if the storm takes me down? Will You continue its destructive path?”
Whoever wishes to live life according to God’s will must make decisions; decisions must be made. What are you going to do about anxiety? You will inevitably face situations that cause worry; therefore it’s fantastic that Jesus has instructed us all to cast all of our concerns upon Him, trusting that He cares deeply for each need He provides us. 1 Peter 5:7-9 instructs us to do so telling us:
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
What steps are you taking to ensure that your faith remains strong even during trying times? How are you reacting when being put through a spiritual test, such as feeling that God seems distant or has ignored your prayers altogether? Additionally, praying may even become challenging at such times – these could be indications that your faith could be threatened and requires careful thought for it to survive.
Jesus engaged Simon Peter in an insightful dialogue, from which we all can take lessons. Luke 22 verses 31-32 read:
And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
This scripture passage offers us some valuable lessons on how to react when our faith is under threat. When your emotions do not align with your beliefs, put faith before emotion. Certainly, emotions have their place; they’re essential components of interpersonal interactions between people.
God is Working All Things for Your Good
At times, emotions play a critical role in everyday life. Your emotions can warn of potential dangers or provide information about various matters, but it is important to keep in mind that emotions should never be the determining factor in how we live our lives; our faith must always come first over emotions if believers want to live according to Christian principles of living first in faith and then following through emotionally.
Not the easiest path, but certainly the wisest one. Don’t give in to emotions when your beliefs seem under attack; stay objective.
Faith comes first because we live in an uncertain world that tests it daily. Believers face constant temptation from both within themselves as well as Satan himself who wants nothing but for us all to doubt their faith.
To understand what I mean when I refer to faith being under attack, simply observe how many people are distancing themselves from church membership and its teachings. Scripture supports this claim as 1 Timothy chapter 4 verse 1 states,
Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
Faith is being challenged, with our perception that only God matters in life being challenged, as well as any notion of Jesus Christ’s significance to our daily lives being undermined.
Believers need to remain aware that this could be a warning that we should defend and advocate for goodness and faith as necessary.
At times of turmoil or times when our faith may be threatened, each of us has attempted to figure out what steps are available to us to exploit these difficult conditions.
Romans 8 verse 28 states,
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
People, being human, like to know every little detail. We want to know how God came up with a solution when there was none at hand.
Psalm 34, verse 19, from the Bible, states this truth clearly:
Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.
As humans, we desire a clear picture of how and when God will help us. What exactly will His help consist of and when will He appear at my side?
Humans tend to want all the answers, but I want to encourage and remind you that God is sovereign – meaning He alone possesses absolute power and absolute authority over everything that happens on this earth. With that knowledge and power in His hands, all we must do is trust Him without question or think we need answers or think He needs justification – this simply isn’t true!
Trusting God means believing He will keep his promises, whether those promises are beneficial to me directly or not. If He says all is working out in my favor and good, my job should not be to question why but to believe He honors his word. In the event of suffering for the righteous but freed by Christ from them all – our role should be faith-based trust in His promises.
Through faith, you’ll be able to see God at work in all circumstances no matter how hard. Through this lens of belief, it will also allow you to assess if this particular set of circumstances has any purpose or motivation: perhaps unlocking prayer throughout the day; awakening an internal hunger for righteousness you never experienced before; or simply uncovering talents and callings which lie dormant within yourself.
At times we can become so focused on the negatives that we miss the positive aspects of any given situation or miss realizing what God intends to achieve through it. Perhaps He wants us to see Him for who He is. Or it could simply be His plan to test whether He remains faithful in fulfilling His promise as your faithful source or perhaps show His power and goodness toward you.
No matter what the goal of this situation may be, I encourage you to do your part in it. Your task should be to put your faith in Jesus and trust His plan despite any challenges that may come your way; trusting in the fact that He ultimately holds all power no matter how difficult life may seem at the time.
How to Strengthen Your Faith in God
When faced with difficulty, prayer can be your best ally. Communicating with God directly is essential when seeking direction and strength from Him – remember His ways are far superior to our methods, while His wisdom surpasses all others (Isaiah 55:8-9).
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Trust in the Lord instead of trying to figure everything out by yourself (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Build up your armor of faith. Ephesians 6:10-18 encourages believers to equip themselves with God’s complete armor against Satan’s schemes by donning its elements: belt of righteousness, breastplate of righteousness and shoes that represent Gospel of Peace as well as an armor of faith and salvation to ensure faith is kept strong in life. Don all these spiritual qualities for an assurance in faith!
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Finally, surround yourself with fellow believers who can provide encouragement, support, and prayers. Faith should never be undertaken alone! Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 emphasizes this fact:
Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.
For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.
Be mindful that no matter the challenges you’re experiencing, God is by your side and working all things out for the best possible outcomes. Have faith and trust Him with every promise He’s made you; allow the radiance of Christ to guide your steps through each storm.
- All Bible verses are from the King James Version