Mensa Otabil - Our God With Us (10/25/2025)
First Kings chapter 8, verse 57. May the Lord our God be with us as He was with our fathers; may He not leave us nor forsake us. This was part of Solomon’s prayer as he dedicated the temple in Jerusalem, and for many years they had been building this temple, desiring to build it and then finally constructing it.
Solomon dedicates the temple, but he did not see the temple as God; he saw it as representing God’s presence. So he prayed, «Lord, as we see this temple and come to worship here, let us be reminded that You are with us.» We cannot replace God with buildings, with things, or even with men of God. God is God all by Himself, and the buildings we worship in just remind us of His presence. The Lord Jesus Christ gave us the same assurance that He will be with us through the Holy Spirit. However, even with that assurance that God is with us, sometimes we lose focus and lose our foundation when we are buffeted and kicked by difficulties.
Many of us wake up in the morning with a lot of anxiety, especially if we live in a bustling capital like Accra or in some of the other African capitals and cities where there is so much traffic and so much stress. We wake up and face life with this stress, and all of a sudden, we forget that God is with us. Many of us wake up with all kinds of questions: Will I get sick? Will I be okay? Will I be fired from my job? Will I be able to buy things for my kids when my cat starts this morning? On and on we go through these anxieties, and by the time you are halfway through the morning, you’re so weary, so down.
Remember, God is with you. It doesn’t mean there will be no trouble, but always remember God amidst all your anxieties, worries, and concerns. Remember that God is with you, and don’t poison your mind and heart with all kinds of worries and anxieties that drain your peace away. Instead of experiencing the peace of God, you have fear. Remember this: just as faith releases the power of God, fear releases all kinds of negative forces in our lives. When you face life with fear and anxiety, things go wrong for you, and nothing works out. Even things that were working out turn out badly. So we have to walk by faith.
You say, «Pastor, but that’s difficult.» I know it’s difficult; I struggle to walk by faith. Everybody struggles to walk by faith. The apostles of Jesus struggled to walk by faith; the people of Israel struggled to walk by faith. But God expects us to walk by faith. In spite of our struggles, He says we have to trust Him: «I am with you, even if you don’t feel My presence.»
I just want to let you know that God is with you. He’s a faithful God, and He is with you. You may not feel His presence; you may not think He’s near, but He is always with you. It is His pledge, His commitment, and His covenant to you that He will not leave you. If you are His child, He is with you. No matter what you go through this week or in the many days ahead of us, remember God is with you. Today we choose to live a faith-filled life instead of a life full of anxiety, worry, and uncertainty. God is with you.
Let’s pray. Say with me, «Heavenly Father, I know You are with me. I reject the spirit of fear and embrace the spirit of faith. In Jesus' name, amen and amen.»