Mensa Otabil - God Is On Your Side
- Watch
- Donate
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. For many years, they had been building this temple, desiring to build and then finally completing it. Solomon dedicates the temple, but he did not see it 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 remind us of His presence.»
The Lord Jesus Christ gave us the same assurance that He will be with us through the Holy Spirit. Yet, even with that assurance that God is with us, sometimes we lose focus and 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 you live in a bustling capital like Accra or some of the other African capitals and cities where there is so much traffic and stress. You wake up and face life with stress, and all of a sudden, you forget that God is with you. Many of us wake up with all kinds of questions: Will I get sick? Will I be okay? Will I be fired? Will my job still be there? Will I be able to buy things for my kids? Will my car start this morning? On and on we go through these anxieties, and by the time you are halfway through the morning, you feel weary and down.
Remember, God is with you. It doesn’t mean there will be no trouble, but always remember God in the midst of all the anxieties, worries, and concerns. Don’t poison your mind and heart with worries and anxieties that draw your peace away from you. Instead of having the peace of God, you may feel 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 can turn out badly.
We have to walk by faith. You may say, «Pastor, that’s difficult.» I know it’s difficult; I struggle to walk by faith, and everybody struggles with it. The apostles of Jesus struggled to walk by faith, and the people of Israel struggled too. 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 want you to know that God is with you. He is a faithful God, and He is with you. You may not feel His presence or think He is near, but He is always with you. It is His pledge to you, His commitment to you, and His covenant to you that He will not leave you. If you are His child, He is with you, and no matter what you go through this week or in the days ahead, remember, God is with you.
So 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.»