Will God Be With Me?
Luann Budd
Will God be with me? Will I hear him in the rustling grass or sense the touch of his rod and staff in the valley?
People who go the distance, who serve the Lord for their whole life, have a hopeful expectation that the Lord will be with them, will speak and guide them, day by day. They live their life aware they are in the presence of Jesus. When they read their Bible and pray, they anticipate a word from him. When they retreat, they have confidence Jesus will guide their time. When they need wisdom, they trust the Lord will have someone in their group of trusted friends say something that is God's word to them. They know they don’t walk alone because Jesus is with them.
There are ways to cultivate a sense that Jesus is with you. It’s helpful to reflect on our past, remembering how Jesus brought us through various challenges so that we can be hopeful he will do the same for us in the future. We can keep a list of where we see his fingerprints day by day. We can stop what we are doing like Daniel did three times a day and lift our focus to Jesus, reminding ourselves he is with us. We can slowly read Psalm 139 four times, back to back, and let the truth of God’s presence in our lives sink in a little deeper.
Whenever you sit down to read the Scriptures this month, or listen to a sermon, or have coffee with a friend, notice if you expect God to speak to you. Whenever you begin to worry about the future, expect God to meet you in your time of need. Peter Story, a minister in Johannesburg, wrote this after decades of wrestling with fear and his faith during their intense struggle for freedom from apartheid: "Fear locks the door and immobilizes us....Thank God...Jesus invades our places of fear and offers the gift that only he can bring: 'Peace be with you!'...Jesus gives his peace by being there...Oh, never, never lose that sense of simple dependence on the presence of Jesus in your life because sometimes it is all you will have."
Jesus is always speaking because he is always present. Always.
Jesus said, “... And surely, I will be with you to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)