- 82. I Am With You
Isaiah 43:5 Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west.
Jesus promises that He will be with us always; therefore, we have nothing to fear. If it is true that God is with us we have nothing to worry about, for He is with us for our good and for our benefit, not for our punishment and suffering. We may undergo sufferings and the consequences of our sin, but He will be with us in it. He came into our word of sin and suffering, went to the cross, and right in our midst and in our suffering earth He died for our sin. He takes it all upon Himself. And if He is with us now, here, where we live in our pain He will still take it all upon Himself and bear it away. So what are we worried about? Why are we anxious? Jesus is here.
He is here in our world, and He will gather the church about Himself. He will build an enclave within a cruel world and draw us into it. We are safe and secure; we are kept for Him and for life forever with Him. If God is for us, who can be against us? How will He not with Him give us all things?
There are times when I need somebody to be there for me. And for that need I have the promise: the Lord is there for me. He will not fail, but He will accomplish what He intends for my life, body and soul, now and forever. There may be no more encouraging words to hear than these: “I am here; I am with you; fear not.” I respond, “Thou, my Good Shepherd, art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord every day from now on forever.” God means it; I mean it.