Always Near

[0:00] A Pastor's Reflections, Always Near, Genesis 21-22 And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phicol, the chief captain of his host, spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with you in all that you do.

[0:18] 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.

[0:32] Matthew 28-20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

[0:46] The nearness of God is a fact that is often taken for granted in our daily existence. We understand and believe that God is always there, but we are often slow to allow that truth to shape who we are and to influence the decisions we make.

[1:03] Abraham was a man so in tune with God's presence that the people around him couldn't help but notice Abraham's God, right there alongside him and in everything he did.

[1:15] They knew that Abraham would be true to them because they had witnessed his God be true to him. And they knew that a man who God was with was a person they wanted to be with as well.

[1:28] Joshua was a man who had some pretty big shoes to fill. Moses, the man who had for so long represented all that God was doing in the world, was no longer there to show Joshua the way forward.

[1:41] Joshua was now left to chart his course alone. But he was not alone. As Joshua stepped into a new role and a new calling, the Lord was quick to remind Joshua that God's presence was not location-based, but person-based.

[1:58] Wherever you go, Joshua, I am with you. Jesus was about to ascend into heaven. He had just given the Great Commission to his apostles.

[2:10] They have been given the task of taking the message of salvation to the entire world. Consider how well they did as representatives while Jesus was here.

[2:22] They are now supposed to do this all on their own? The prospect before them must have seemed overwhelming. But wait. Jesus, no doubt seeing the shock and apprehension on their faces, reminds them of this very important fact.

[2:39] I am with you always and everywhere. Psalm 139, verse 8 and verse 10. If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there.

[2:52] If I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. God wants to remind you today that just like Abraham, just like Joshua, and just like the apostles, he is with you.

[3:10] His presence is not location or situation-based, but person-based. God is beside you, with you, and in communion with you for the whole of every moment of your life.

[3:23] As a child of God, you have been given the greatest gift of all, relationship with God. John 17, 3.

[3:33] Your eternity consists of your relationship with God.

[3:46] However, God's desire is not that you wait until heaven to take advantage of that truth. He wants you to take advantage of your eternal life now. Don't wait.

[3:57] Begin living every moment in communion with a God who loves you and is with you always. Father, in the deepest recesses of my heart, I have this fear that I'll be left alone.

[4:11] I know I do not deserve your love, and so often my own unworthiness makes me fear that there may come a day or circumstance in which you would leave me. Thank you for your word that reminds me that there is no location, no circumstance, and no possibility of you ever being anywhere but with me.

[4:32] Amen.