“I Will Be With You”
“I will be with you.” These are words of reassurance. But, words that may not ring as true these days in a world of separation and uncertainty. We may feel like the odds are stacked against us. Even if we’re doing okay, someone near us may not be. God put the following scripture on my heart this week. It should help to reassure all of us:
“No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.” (Joshua 1:5, NLT)
I’m a fan of committing scripture to memory. Therefore, it can comfort us anytime and anywhere in any situation. In this example, God himself was speaking to Moses’ protegé, Joshua.
A Tough Act To Follow
Can you imagine being the leader who succeeds Moses? Through him, God had brought the plagues, including turning the great Nile River into blood. After that, he showed himself as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night to lead the former enslaved nation out of Egypt. Through Moses, God parted the Red Sea and then destroyed the Egyptian army. Then, he miraculously provided food for the nation for decades. He spoke to Moses often and gave his law in the ten commandments. That’s a tough act to follow! Joshua or any one of us might have felt unworthy or unqualified. The key point here is that it was God through Moses – not Moses. And God said to Joshua, “. . . I will be with you . . .”
Famous Last Words
Jesus gives us a similar reassurance. Among his last words to the disciples before being arrested and executed, he mentioned the Holy Spirit coming to them: “But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate (or “Helper,” “Friend,” “Comforter”) won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you.” (John 16:7, NLT)
And later, in verses 13-15: “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’ “
In other words, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are working together – for you and me. “I will be with you.”
How Can We Lose?
The apostle Paul was an early persecutor of Christians. But, after a supernatural encounter with Jesus, he became the most outspoken advocate of the faith. The eighth chapter of his letter to the Romans is full of power and wisdom. One conclusion he builds up (from the contemporary Message translation) is in verses 31-32: “So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us?”
“I will be with you.” This goes for all of us – not just the heroes of the faith. Are you hearing this? We have the same power they did because we have the same God!
Worship:
Listen to this song and let the music and words move you to claim what is rightfully yours as a child of God: The Same Power – Jeremy Camp
Application:
Take a couple of minutes and read all of Romans 8. There’s much more to breathe in than the small sample I shared above. Consider taking a couple of extra minutes to read both the Message and New Living Translations in this link. Listen as the apostle Paul makes a compelling and life-changing case for Christ in our lives.
Consider any area of your life where you’re feeling unworthy; defeated; not sure what to do next. How could you instead, claim the same power that Moses, Joshua, the disciples, and Paul had?
Pray over these areas. Ask God what he’s trying to teach you or tell you. Feel free to also send them to our prayer team to pray over: (Edward@Mission-Addiction.org)
Closing Scripture:
A few verses after our opening verse, God tells Joshua to be sure and obey his instructions. Then, he reassures him again: “This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9, NLT)
Prayer:
Lord, I praise you for your love and your Word. Neither is old-fashioned or will ever go out of style! What was true two or three thousand years ago is still universally true today. For those who are seeking you, I pray that this message is a light and a path to find you. No matter where we are on our faith walk, I pray that we can all rise above any challenges of this world. Help us not become afraid or discouraged, no matter what. Help us be strong and courageous followers and obey your instructions carefully. Let us all claim our heritage as your sons and daughters, as Paul wrote. Let us own it – AND – act like it. Guide us to be your light and share that light in this world that so desperately needs it. Amen.
May God bless you!
Thank you for “attending” The Path – Quick Church in written form. Let me know what you think of this message. What spoke to you the most? Feel free to like, comment, and share and/or contact us to go into more detail and work more on your faith walk together. We have a new healing and discipleship series that starts August 3rd!
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