God's Pervasive Presence
When we are going through hard times, it's all too easy to feel abandoned by God. Despite our feelings, we can rejoice in the hope that through the flood and inferno, our God will never leave us. (Isaiah 43:2) God's presence with us is constant. Jesus allowed himself to be forsaken so that we never will be. (Mark 15:34)
Not only is our God all-powerful, He is also ever-present. He will never leave or forsake you no matter what lies the enemy whispers to you in the dark. You are never alone. (Deuteronomy 3:16 & Hebrews13:5)
Jesus was forsaken on the cross so you never will be
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Immanuel, God with us
In fact, He's not just with us, He's in us. At Christmastime, we celebrate Immanuel, "God with Us." But now that Jesus has returned to the Father and sent His Holy Spirit to us, God no longer sits beside us as a man—He dwells with us in communion with our spirits. We are His temple. We carry God with us wherever we go.
This is a great mystery. When God had His own human body in Jesus, He kept it perfectly pure and undefiled. But now, He has chosen to wed His Holy Spirit to our sinful bodies. We are made of earth dust. We are sinful and dirty. The most righteous actions we have to offer are like filthy rags compared to God's purity (Is 64:6).
I wonder in amazement, not just that God came down to meet us in a human body of His own, but that He now lives in my body. How is this possible? It is only by the work of Christ. It is certainly not a result of anything I have done. That I know for sure.
Many of the things I have done and thought would only repel a holy God further away, not draw Him nearer. God's Holy Spirit can live in me only because I get credit for Jesus' sinless life when I put my trust in Him. (Genesis 15:6, Romans 4:1-5, 20-24)
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God's power at work in us
The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you.
Romans 8:11
The resurrection of Jesus from the dead took power beyond our ability to control or comprehend, and yet we are assured that because of Jesus' victory through the Holy Spirit at work in us, that same power lives in us. It is that power, not our own, which achieves the victory for us.
When Assyria threatened Israel, King Hezekiah got to work making physical preparations for defense, but more importantly, he told his people this:
"Be strong and courageous! Don't be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria or his mighty army, for there is a power far greater on our side! He may have a great army, but they are merely men. We have the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles for us!"
2 Chronicles 32:7-8
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
Do not fear. God is with you.
We do well to remind ourselves daily of this same truth. The knowledge that God is with us and is greater than our foe is the key to fighting off fear and embracing boldness and courage. We must deliberately fortify our faith with "Godfidence"—not confidence in ourselves, for we are mere "arms of flesh" as well, but confidence in our unbeatable God who lives in us and is constantly with us wherever we go.
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God's Pervasive Presence
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