Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. -Joshua 1:9
As followers of Christ we have the assurance and the certainty that we are never alone, for the Lord is with us. And the Lord is not only with us, but He goes before us preparing the way. For Noah, God made a way through the flood. For the Israelites God made a way through the wilderness. For three Hebrew boys thrown into a fiery furnace, God made a way of deliverance for them. For Daniel, a man of integrity who would not bow down under an order that he cease from praying and seeking God, the Lord made a way out of the lion’s den. As God made a way for the saints of old, so He will also make a way for us. The Lord does that because He loves us. The Lord knows that we often struggle through the trials and difficulties of life. God knows that we are fragile and weak human beings who sometimes get discouraged when we face what seem to be impossible odds. But God will make a way for us – because He is with us all of the time. Whatever I may face, and whatever you may face, as long as we have the Lord in our lives we can face it with the full confidence of His presence, grace, and power. Don’t ever start thinking that we are alone; we aren’t. Don’t start believing that God has abandoned us; He hasn’t. Never start believing that the situation is hopeless; in God it isn’t. There is always hope in the Lord. God is indeed with us all of the time – that is a promise we can keep with us at all times and through all the trials of life.
The Lord is ever reminding us of His presence in our lives. We have God’s Word, we have the wonder of creation, we have the evidence of the Lord working in the lives of those around us, and we have the Holy Spirit who daily reminds us of this truth: God is with us all of the time. We stop believing that at our own peril. Consider what Joshua told the people in Joshua 3:5: “Tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” Joshua reminded the people that they needed to get ready, for the Lord was about to something great; something that would exceed their greatest expectations. Doesn’t that sound like a look toward a vision from the Lord? It does to me. Look forward, not backward, because the Lord is about to work some miracles in your lives. Once we take hold of that attitude of faith and expectation, then we begin to move forward in the fullness of God’s power, grace, and blessing.
When we live in the expectation that the Lord is going to inspire, empower, and guide our lives we will not be disappointed. Never forget that the Lord is with us - all of the time.
