Thursday: “I Am With You Alway”
Matthew ends his Gospel account with some of the most reassuring words Jesus spoke: “I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matt. 28:20). What should that mean to us, in practical terms, in our own lives, in our own struggles, failures, and disappointments, and even when we feel that God has let us down?
Image © John Baker from GoodSalt.com
It is interesting that Matthew commences his Gospel with similar words. After listing all the forebearers, and the account of an angel visiting first Mary then Joseph, Matthew explains that the baby to be born would be Emmanuel, God with us (Matt. 1:23).
God made the promise, “I will be with you,” a number of times in Scripture. He promised to be with Isaac (Gen. 26:24), with Jacob (Gen. 28:15), with Jeremiah (Jer. 1:8, Jer 1:19), and with the children of Israel (Isa. 41:10, Isa 43:5). The context of many of these references is during times of hardship and duress, when God’s words would be most relevant.
A parallel verse uses similar words: “‘I will never leave you nor forsake you'” (Heb. 13:5, NKJV). Just a few verses later it adds, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Heb. 13:8, NKJV). This promise, too, is repeated a number of times. It actually comes from the occasion when Moses hands leadership over to Joshua (Deut. 31:6, 8), and God repeats the phrase to Joshua after the death of Moses, “‘I will not leave you nor forsake you'” (Josh. 1:5, NKJV). When David passes on the kingdom to Solomon, he likewise tells Solomon that God will not leave nor forsake Solomon (1 Chron. 28:20).
Jesus, who never changes, who is always with us, gave strong assurance to our forefathers of the faith. They faced hardship and trial, or were about to embark on the greatest challenge of their life; yet, they were assured of God’s continued presence.
To the church of Christ at the end of time, these assurances are significant. Jesus’ promise of being with us to the very end is in the context of making disciples by going, baptizing, and teaching. So, that is where the focus is-on the joy of rescuing people from ending up on the losing side in the great controversy.
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For so many years this verse has been my comfort and courage that I not in my own whatever the circumstances maybe , I remember the words in the world you shall have affliction but be of good cheer, and then I remember I am with you always until the end of this world.
God's promises are sure and true!!!!only for those who believe and walk with him in his paths and he promises ""I will be with you always" and this is is true that's why He is "Emmanuel"
Amid tragedy of a broken heart, a broken home and my world that fell apart, I survive only on this assurance.
Be strong brother!
Wise words. And I'm encouraged to always know and remember in good and bad times that God will always be with me.
Yes,these words are so comforting "I will never leave you nor forsake you". Even though sometimes we tend to forget those words and loose faith when going through struggles, failure and disappointments, but through it all he's always there because he knows why he allowed certain things to happen. Sometimes it's to strengthen us and also to remind us that without him we are nothing. We serve an awesome God who is faithful to us.
Whenever I think about the Children of Israel traversing the wilderness, the picture in my mind is the 'pillar of cloud' and the 'pillar of fire' that guided them every single day and every single night for all of FORTY YEARS. Wherever they camped, the Lord encircled them in that pillar and rested over the camp. When it was time to move on, He led out ahead giving them directions for the journey every step along the way. He provided safety, manna for food, water from the rock, kept their clothes from wearing and tearing and for all their material needs. It truly amazes me that God, being so GREAT in might and power could become so real, and ever present to such a rebellious people. Today, we are no different than ancient Israel and God has not changed either, so we can still find solace in His promise, "I will never leave nor forsake you" (Heb. 13:5). How reassuring!
I have just been listening to this beautiful song. You can listen and enjoy it too and let the words reassure and comfort you today. Have a blessed day in God's presence and know that you're in His care, always:
Tenderly He watches over you
Every step, every mile of the way
Like a mother watching o'er her baby
He is near you every hour of the day.
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When you're weak, when you're strong
When you're right, when you're wrong
In your joy, in your pain
When you lose and when you gain.
Repeat Chorus
Didn't Christ leave his wayward people to their own demise when they started worshipping other gods?
Can God be silent and still be present?
These are just some thoughts that are going through my head as I reflect back on past Sabbath Lessons. I know that Christ will not force himself on know one. He is waiting on us to accept Him. In one of the pass lessons, I read where Christ was silent for 400 years then John the Baptist came on the scene preaching "Repentance". Even in my thoughts, I truly believe Christ is always with me.
We can always be comforted by the word when we study, we must receive it, accept it, believe it,appy it and practice it. By so doing, the word becomes rooted and grounded in our heart and thoughts, then they are shown in our actions, thus, we can minister to others by our actions and the word of God, which will result in winning souls for His kingdom.
As in the poem Jesus not only walks with us but He carries us when the burdens become so heavy that we can't bear them
Thx God for His constant and never ending loving care even though we sometimes forget His presence with us
Thank you God the Emmanual
Jesus, who never changes, who is always with us, gave strong assurance to our forefathers of the faith. They faced hardship and trial, or were about to embark on the greatest challenge of their life; yet, they were assured of God’s continued presence.
Have you ever been in a situation and it did not look like the situation would ever come to past? We need to understand that the situations we have in life is out of our hands. We must continue to learn that are ways are not his ways and our thoughts are not his thoughts. Because after all Jesus is the Way, The Truth, and the Life! Because as Christians The LORD is always with us. AMEN!
It's re-assurung to know that God will be with us through to the end.Ever so often we give our burdens to the Lord and take it up back again. As the song remind us, Oh what needless pain we bear, all because we don not carry everything to God in prayer. Let us let go and let God.
Sometimes we feel trapped in the middle of a violent storm!
The ship covered in waves, that keep knocking us down.
If the Master Of The Universe is in your vessel, He can be asleep and you'll still make it! God would still be on us amidst of all.
There was a time when the people of God "went backward and not forward... They did worse that their fathers." (Jer 7:24-26)
But did God abandon them? No, He went back with them, and worked with them "where they were at." The Lord continued to do all that He could do to shield them.
How far "backwards" can we go before God abandons us?
On the cross, Jesus represented the person that was completely forsaken, completely lost. Darkness surrounded Him. And where was God?
"God and His holy angels were beside the cross. The Father was [right there] with His Son." But was Jesus conscious of this fact? Oh no! Jesus was not conscious of it. "In that dreadful hour Christ was not to be comforted with the Father's presence. He trod the winepress alone..." (DA 753-754)
Did God leave Him? No. But the fact is that Jesus felt completely forsaken and alone. This represents the final state of those that are lost. On the cross, Jesus represented the greatest of sinners. He represented sin itself.
God does not leave, or abandon, anybody. While we live, and move, and have our being, God remains near by, helping where-ever He can.
I suggest that those that believe and understand this, will have comfort, and will be able to say, with Job, "though He slay me, yet will I trust Him."
Even if the trials that He allows to come upon me ends my life, yet will I have trust in Him... I will not deny the faith that is in my heart. (Rev 2:13)
I Just discovered this website and it has really edified me and how I look at things.Good comments and analysis of lessons .May the good Lord continue blesing u with abundant wisdom.
Jesus said to the disciples on the night He was betrayed, that the Holy Spirit had been with them and would soon be in them. But the world did not know the Holy Spirit. (John 14:17) From this I take that there are degrees of God's presence, or there are degrees of our receptivity, or both. I'm sure that our receptivity is critical because if we do not receive Him as He seeks our attention, we will become less able to hear His voice and our consciences may be seared (1 Timothy 4:1-2).
May God help us, not only to trust in His being with us, but also to treasure His companionship.