When you hear someone say, “I am with you”, have you wondered what that really means? You may have heard it and then your life experiences added another word – “until”.
“I am with you… until… things get too tough.”
“I am with you… until… the money is gone.”
You probably have several words you could put after “until”. We used to have relationships “til death do us part”, but many of those relationships fall apart because the “until” condition has changed drastically due to people’s lack of commitment.
There have been times in my life where I’ve been told “I am with you”, only to be disappointed when situations came where I really needed that person by my side and they were nowhere to be found. I’ve also been the one who said, “I am with you”, and didn’t live up to that promise. Those are regrets that can’t be done over, only a commitment made to do better in the future.
I’ve found that the one person who always follows through on “I am with you” is God, and His presence brings much more than moral support. It brings peace and comfort, along with influencing your situation in amazing ways. When God says, “I am with you”, there is no “until” at the end of His statement. Jesus was very clear about this when He said:
For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Heb 13:5
We see in the Bible several instances where God spoke the words “I am with you” as assurance to someone. In Genesis chapter 14, Abraham had just returned from rescuing his nephew Lot from captivity and had honored God with his tithe and commitment. In Genesis 15:1 we find God speaking to Abraham as He prepares to make a covenant with him:
After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”
In Genesis chapter 26 we find Isaac living in the land of the Philistines during a time of famine. He is prospering in spite of the hard times and has faced difficulties with the neighboring herdsmen. He relocates to a different location to keep the peace and we find in verse 24 that God spoke to him:
And the Lord appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham; do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for My servant Abraham’s sake.”
In Isaiah 41:10 God was speaking to the people of Israel when He said:
Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
God’s promise to be with you wasn’t relegated to Old Testament times. His desire is to be with you even now. In Matthew 28:19-20 Jesus spoke these words to the disciples and all believers who would come after them:
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
It is God’s intention to be with you, and when He issues the assurance of “I am with you”, it carries much more than a simple “I’m not far away”. When God says, “I am with you”, He is giving you an assurance of His presence in your life, and the answers that His presence brings.
When God says, “I am with you”,
It answers Satan’s accusation that God is not with you and that He does not care for you because of your sins or inadequacies. God is with you because He cares about you and wants to be involved in your life.
When He says, “I am with you”,
It answers the questions that leads man to tempt God by asking “Is God really with me? Have Him show Himself to prove He is really with me.”
When He says, “I am with you”,
It answers the question of proximity – If God is with you then He is near, not far away. If He is near you, He hears what you are saying to Him and sees what you are going through. He is close enough to act on your behalf. You are not alone.
When He says, “I am with you”,
It answers the question of who is on your side? If God is for you, who can be against you?
When He says, “I am with you”,
It answers the question about God’s desire to be with you. He chooses whom He associates with. If He is with you it is because He desires to be – not out of obligation.
Fear Not, God Is with You
If God is with you, His power and presence are there. His character is there. He expects you to think and act as He does. He wants His blessing to come on you – but you must remember that His blessing comes with His ways– not yours. It’s His desire to teach you His ways so that you can walk in His blessings. You have to make the decision to live your life with this as your goal.
There may be times in life where it may feel like God isn’t with you, but you can rest assured He has not turned His back and moved across the universe to get away from you. He is near, waiting on you to turn to Him. Whatever you are facing in life, knowing that God is with you will help carry you through. We can look back to Hebrews 13 for that assurance:
5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we may boldly say:
“The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”
If you read back through God’s “I am with you” statements, you’ll find a common thread – Fear Not. The future can be daunting if we allow it to be. When God tells you He is with you, He is talking about that very moment, and the coming minutes, hours, days and years. That is why He encourages you to Fear Not. Whatever the future may hold, it is not bigger than God.
We can see many examples of this in the life of Paul. In one particular instance, he was teaching in Corinth and drawing the ire of the local Jews who sought to have him silenced. As Paul was facing this threat, he was encouraged:
9 Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; 10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city.” 11 And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
Acts 18:9-11
God was with Paul, and he continued to fulfill his purpose in Corinth. God will be with you as well, and He will help you to discover and fulfill your purpose. He is with you because He wants to see you become all He created you to be. The next time you begin to feel alone, remember that God loves you, and that He is saying “I am with you”. Then embrace His presence and push forward knowing that those words will answer your fears and see you through.
Thanks for listening!
