In the times we are in God wants us to remember that He is with us. This truth is constant and does not change.
Isaiah 41:10 “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
What does this mean?
– Toward – His face is looking in our direction giving us His attention and wanting communication with us. Our communication with the Father becomes like two people who are looking face to face while talking. All distractions are removed.
– Beside – walking with us through whatever situation we are facing. We can put our hand in His and trust Him to lead the way. This is like a parent who holds a child’s hand who is crossing the street. It is to provide guidance, safety and protection.
– In spite of – no matter what is happening we know that He is faithful and will keep His Word. Our temporary situations do not change His unchanging Word. We can trust His promises.
– Accompanying – we are never alone. He is always available to aid and help us.
– Together – in partnership with us and working with us to fulfill His purposes in the earth. Ephesians 2:6 says that we are seated together with Him in heavenly places. We are co-laborers with Christ.
Promises to be with Us
The Bible is full of verses where God promises to be with us.
With us in the Valley
Psalms 23:4 “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”
We do not have to fear when death (a dark place of difficulty or trial) comes near us either personally or through someone we know. He is with us even in our time of pain to comfort us. His rod gives us direction and protection as the chief Shepherd walks closely ahead of us. We can hear and follow His voice and flee from our enemies. His staff is used to rescue us if we find ourselves in a tight spot. He rejoices greatly to find us and hold us tightly as He restores us.
The Armies of Heaven Are With Us
Psalms 46:7 “The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.”
LORD of hosts is one of the names of God. It means the self-existent and eternal Jehovah who commands all the forces of heaven is with us. He is the Beginning and the End – the Alpha and the Omega. No one existed before Him, and no one will exist after Him. It is this God with all His mighty power that stands with us in the valleys and the mountains of life. It is in Him that we can find refuge – a hiding place and a place of safety.
The God of Wonders is with Us
Psalms 46:8 “Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth.”
When we acknowledge that God is with us then we will see the works of God. He delights to give us the desires of our hearts. He will move heaven and earth on our behalf. He makes all things work together for our good. When we look around at nature, we can see His work through creation. The Creator is so big, but He also cares about the affairs of the people He has made. Every breath that we take should be a reminder of His care for us and that He is with us.
With Us to Bring Victory
Psalms 46:11 “The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.”
This passage ends with the same declaration that it began with – the Lord of hosts is with us. It confirms and seals that the eternal Jehovah who commands the armies of heaven is with us. Selah – stop and think about the magnitude of this truth. We can see the magnitude when we examine the time Elisha and his servant were surrounded by the Syrian army. Elisha had great peace because he knew that there was more with them than who were against them. The servant’s eyes were opened to see the armies of heaven that delivered the two men from the hand of their enemy (2 Kings 6:15-17). Victory is promised when God is with us.
With us in Trouble
Psalms 91:15 “He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.”
God promises to be with us during times of trouble when situations are hard. We all face difficult times in life – sickness, family turmoil, financial crisis, etc. The promise is that God is walking with us in those times even though we may not feel Him or see His hand at work at the time. According to God’s Word, we know that He is always near and that we can call upon His name with the assurance that He will answer. We can also be assured of His deliverance and honor in the end.
Daniel was in trouble in the lion’s den, but God was with him and protected him. In the end, the king changed the laws because Daniel stood for God (Daniel 6:1-28). God will bring us to a place of honor as walks with us through trouble.
With Us as we Pass Through the Waters
Isaiah 43:2 “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.”
Sometimes we are required to walk through the waters of life. The waters represent the things that try to overwhelm us. They seek to move us away from the place we should be as a raging river seeks to carry someone swiftly from a raft. The waters also would want to drown us as life throws its many battles.
We can find comfort in the story of Peter who was able to walk on the water because Jesus was with him. Peter remained unaffected by the wakes as long as his eyes were on Jesus. The other good news was that Jesus rescued him when he began to sink. Jesus is always there to rescue us even when we feel like life is trying to drown us. We can rise above everything that the waters of life bring our way as we keep our eyes on Jesus who is with us.
With Us as we Pass Through the Fire
Isaiah 43:2 “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.”
God is with us in the fiery trials of life and has promised that we will not be burned. In other words, we will not look like what we have been through. The invisible scars of life like bitterness, anger, and unforgiveness that could come as a result of trials will not be able to stick to us. We will come through them with joy, peace and praise.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown into the fiery furnace, but God was with them as the fourth man in the fire. They came out without smelling like smoke (Daniel 3:21-25). The fires of life will not have a lasting effect on us because the Lord is with us to bring total deliverance in every trial. We are never alone in the fire.
With Is Us Always
Matthew 28:20 “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
This verse is one of the last things that Jesus said before going back to the Father. It is known as The Great Commission in which Jesus instructs us on how to reach the world for Him. At the end of this commission, he lets us know that He will be with us to help us accomplish the assignment He has given. He walks with us as we declare His good news.
The early church could preach with boldness in the face of great persecution because they knew that Jesus was with them. He sent the Holy Spirit to fill them and give them boldness (Acts 1:8). Beatings and prison could not stop the preaching of the gospel because the power of God moved through the church. He is with us now to empower us to preach and teach the world about Him.
With Us to Bless Us
Genesis 26:3 “Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father;”
God promised Isaac that He would be him as he traveled. God also said that He would bless Isaac and his children. This was given during a time of famine when not much was flourishing in the land. The Lord will bless us even when everything around us looks bleak. Isaac never lacked anything but had an abundance while people struggled around him. God walks with us to bless us in the journey of life, therefore we do not need to fear the dry times.
Fear not Because He is With Us
Genesis 26:24 “And the LORD appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham’s sake.”
God is speaking to Isaac again in this verse telling him to fear not. We do not have to fear because God is with us. Fear is one of the biggest enemies that we have to overcome. It tries to come because our external circumstances feel too big to handle. We have been given God’s power, love and a sound mind to help us conquer fear.
The spirit of fear was at work when Goliath faced the armies of Israel until David arrived and came against it. Israel was afraid of Goliath and did not do anything to defeat him. David was filled with faith and boldness and therefore defeated Goliath in the name of the Lord (1 Samuel 17). We have victory in the name of the Lord because He is with us.
Prosperity Because God Is With Us
Genesis 39:2-3 “And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the of his master the Egyptian. (3) And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.”
God was with Joseph while he worked as a slave in Potiphar’s house. The Lord’s presence upon Joseph was visible to other people. It also caused him to prosper. The Lord will cause us to prosper even when we face situations that would normally be a hindrance. Prosperity does not mean having a lot of money and things, but it does give us the ability to push forward and advance in ways that cannot be purchased.
The Bible says that Daniel prospered while he was in captivity (Daniel 1). Daniel had knowledge and understanding above the other young men who served the king with him. He stood out among them. God will cause us to advance in life as we acknowledge His presence is with us.
Mercy and Favor Because God is With Us
Genesis 39:21 “But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.”
God was with Joseph while he was in prison, giving him mercy and favor during the entire time. Mercy is the kindness of God being poured out even when it is undeserved. Favor will move us into positions that we are unqualified for and will cause us to shine above others because of God’s presence.
God gave Esther, who was an orphan, favor with the king and she became queen in a foreign land. In the natural, she knew nothing about being a queen; but was given favor throughout the preparation process because of her obedience. This favor was used to bring salvation to God’s people who were facing death. The Lord is faithful to show us mercy and give us favor as He walks with us.
God Is With Us When He Sends Us
Exodus 3:12 “And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.”
God was with Moses empowering him to lead the children of Israel into the Promise Land. Moses did not feel capable to complete this assignment because of his speech impairments. His weakness was a place where God’s strength could be made perfect. We are empowered to accomplish every assignment that God has for us because He is with us to help and strengthen us for the task.
Jeremiah also felt unworthy when he was given an assignment by the Lord. Jeremiah’s excuse was his young age, but God was with him to preach (Jeremiah 1). God is with us as we step out to accomplish each task that He sends us to do, and He will help us in our weaknesses.
He Is with Us and Will Not Fail Us
Joshua 1:5 “There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”
The assignment to lead the children of Israel into the Promise Land passed from Moses to Joshua, and the Lord gives Joshua the same promise: to be with him. The added assurance is that God would not fail nor forsake him. We are given the same promise – He is always with us. God cannot fail because failure is not in His character. We can see the faithfulness of God to save and deliver His people throughout Scripture. If He did it for them in their situations, then He will do it for us because He has not changed. He is with us to show His faithfulness every step of the way.
Be Strong Because He is With Us
Joshua 1:9 “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”
The Lord continued to speak to Joshua and repeated that He would be with Joshua. As a result, God told him to be strong, of good courage, not afraid and not dismayed. When we realize that God is with us, we are strengthened from within and built up in our minds to meditate on His Word. Therefore, fear cannot paralyze us, and we are not discouraged.
King David gave this same command to his son Solomon as he commissioned him to build the temple. God was with Solomon to help complete the given assignment (1 Chronicles 28:20). True power and strength only come from God. We have been given the strength and courage to accomplish every God-given assignment as He is with us.
With Us to Reveal Purpose
Judges 6:12 “And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.”
The angel of the Lord spoke to Gideon in this verse. He was commissioning Gideon to lead the children of Israel into victory. The problem was that Gideon struggled with his identity and therefore did not see himself as worthy or capable to be a leader. This was because he saw himself as less than the man of valor that God called him to be. The key to realizing his true identity was to know God’s presence.
The Scripture is full of people who struggled with their identity. Paul instructed Timothy to be an example to the believers and to do the work of an evangelist even though others may discount him because of his young age. Timothy was required to stir up the gifts of God and to identify himself with the calling of God in his life. As we embrace that God is with us then we will be empowered to know who we are in Him. He will teach us day by day as we walk with him.
God Is With Us to Change and Empower Us
1 Samuel 10:7 “And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee, that thou do as occasion serve thee; for God is with thee.”
We must be empowered and changed to do the work of God. The prophet Samuel anointed Saul to be king over Israel. Then Saul encountered a group of prophets and began to prophesy. It says that his heart was changed. As God walks with us, He will lead us to encounters that will change our lives and prepare us to do His work.
The disciples spent three years being transformed and prepared to do the work of God as they walked with Jesus. They had one encounter after another where they heard Him teaching and saw Him doing miracles. There were times when they were personally involved in the process of the miracles. At the end of the time, the Holy Spirit was sent to be with them to continue the works of Jesus. Today the Holy Spirit is with us to lead us and change us so that we can be empowered.
Emmanuel – God with us
Matthew 1:23 “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”
The name Emmanuel is one of the names of Jesus which means God with us. Jesus was with God in the beginning and then came to be God among mankind (John 1). Everything Jesus did while on earth was a direct reflection of the Father’s will. One of His purposes was to reveal the Father to the world through the things He did and spoke. We see the heart of God through Jesus His Son. Jesus is with us today through His Holy Spirit to bring about God’s will in our life.
God Is With Us So Do Good
Acts 10:38 “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.”
God was with Jesus, so He was anointed to do good and to bring healing and deliverance to many people. Jesus came to earth to be an example of how we can live and represent the Father to the world. The key to everything that He did was that God was with Him. He continually acknowledged the Father throughout His ministry. As we acknowledge the Father’s presence in our lives, we will find ourselves anointed to do good and to bring healing to the world around us.
God told Moses to anoint Aaron and the other priests before they could serve in the tabernacle (Exodus 30:30). We must allow God to anoint us to do His work as we spend time in His presence. We cannot effectively reach others without the anointing which only comes from the Father. It is the anointing that brings healing to the bound and the oppressed. God is with us to anoint us for His service.