Sometimes the realities of life are so overwhelming that it feels like God has deserted you. It feels like he has packed up and simply left the building, leaving you to struggle with life all by yourself. I know I have felt that way before. How can you be sure that God is with you?
I have been in places and situations in my life that have caused me to cry out to God in anger saying, "God, do you even care?" In those moments my faith was small, my hope was low, and all I could see was the challenge in front of me that felt like it would never go away. I don’t know if you can relate to that feeling. But if you can, even though I can’t see you right now, just nod your head and give me a silent amen as you're reading this.
I personally wish there were never any trials or troubles in this life, but that's not how it is. The truth of life is that it’s in the stormy moments, when your faith is just about gone, where you discover God’s faithfulness. However, in the middle of the storms of life, we have a tendency to forget. We forget God’s promises, God’s plan, and God’s purpose. Sometimes you can even reach a place where you wonder why am I here or how did I get here? It’s in these moments that clinging to the truth of God’s word matters more than ever.
That’s why today I want to simply encourage you that God is with you. I want to give you 10 Scriptures to remind yourself that God is with you always. It might be a good idea to commit these to memory for when the day comes and you feel like God is nowhere to be found.
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God Is With You Examples
Before I get to the Scriptures, I want to remind you that if you have ever felt all alone, as if God has left you or forsaken you, you are in good company. Consider these people from the Bible and their struggle.
David
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest. – Psalm 22:1-2
Elijah
Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors. – 1 Kings 19:3-4
When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else? – Matthew 11:2-3
Gideon
“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” – Judges 6:13
Jesus
About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" (which means "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"). – Matthew 27:46
You see, if you have ever felt like you were deserted or abandoned by God you are not strange, you are simply human. You have joined a long list of saints before you who at some point felt the same way you have.
For this reason, I encourage you to learn how to hold onto God’s word, for when the hard places in life come.
I'm about to share with you 10 Scriptures to remind yourself that God is with you always, but I want to challenge you: Don’t just casually read through these 10 Scriptures. Remind yourself God is with you always as you are reading them.
In other words, read them with faith, believing and knowing that every one of them is true.
When people lose weight they always have a before and after picture to show people the difference and the progress they have made. Let’s do a faith before and after. What is your faith before you read these 10 verses and what is your faith after reading these 10 verses. I fully believe if you grab hold of the truth in these verses, it will build your faith.
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10 Scriptures to Remind You: God Is with You Always
1: No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. - Joshua 1:5
2: Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. – Joshua 1:9
3: ...for He has said, “I will never [under any circumstances] desert you [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], nor will I forsake or let you down or relax My hold on you [assuredly not]! – Hebrews 13:5 (AMP)
4: ...and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. – Matthew 28:20
5: David also said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished. – 1 Chronicles 28:20
6: I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you. – Genesis 28:15
7: The Lord will not reject his people; he will not abandon his special possession. – Psalm 94:14 (NLT)
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. – 1 Peter 2:9 (emphasis added)
8: For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your ancestors, which he confirmed to them by oath. – Deuteronomy 4:31
9: The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? The Lord is with me; he is my helper. I look in triumph on my enemies. - Psalm 118:6-7
10: Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close. Psalm 27:10 (NLT)
Did those verses lift your faith? I hope the truth of those Scriptures are beginning to burn in your heart now. If not, read them again and again—until this truth sinks deep into your soul. God will never, ever, ever forsake or desert you because he truly loves you that much.
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Why Can You Trust God?
I want you to walk away from reading this with your faith and hope truly restored so I must remind you of one last important truth: it is impossible for God to lie. Consider these two simple verses:
God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through? – Numbers 27:19
So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls… – Hebrews 6:18-19
I don’t know where your situation is today. I don’t know how stormy the seas are in your life right now. I don’t know if everything is upside down and you have no idea how you are going to make it to tomorrow. I don’t know if you just spent a sleepless night in tears, wondering when this season in your life will end. I don’t know any of those things.
Here is what I do know. God loves you deeply. He has not forgotten you. He has not forsaken you or ever left your side and he will fulfill what he has promised in his word to do for you. My prayer today is that you would find strength, peace, and comfort in the God who is with you always. I leave you with these words reminding you of how faithful God truly is.
If we are faithless, He remains faithful [true to His word and His righteous character], for He cannot deny Himself. – 2 Timothy 2:13 (AMP)
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Clarence L. Haynes Jr. is a speaker, Bible teacher, and co-founder of The Bible Study Club. He is the author of The Pursuit of Purpose which will help you understand how God leads you into his will. His most recent book is The Pursuit of Victory: How To Conquer Your Greatest Challenges and Win In Your Christian Life. This book will teach you how to put the pieces together so you can live a victorious Christian life and finally become the man or woman of God that you truly desire to be. Clarence is also committed to helping 10,000 people learn how to study the Bible and has just released his first Bible study course called Bible Study Basics. To learn more about his ministry please visit clarencehaynes.com.