God is always with us.
He told me this once. It was out of the blue. As I was walking my dog in the backyard and heading toward the front of the house, I heard some noise. I hesitated and went to peek around out front before walking to the front of the house with my dog. As I was going to peek out front, I heard aloud and plain as day, “Don’t be afraid, Tracy. I am always with you.” I’ll never forget it. It was one of the few times I’ve heard His voice aloud. I wasn’t expecting it. I didn’t even realize I was being fearful. I thought I was just checking things out. But, there was the reminder, affirmation, and Him. Now, whenever I do begin to worry or be concerned about something, I always hear Him saying that to me. I will always remember.
He is with you, too. He is with all of us. His Word tell us that He is.
Joshua 1:9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
Matthew 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Hebrews 13:5-6 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
Isaiah 41:10 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
The LORD says FEAR NOT, FOR I AM WITH YOU. He is with us all the time. In the good times and in the bad times. When we are alone and when we are in fellowship. When we are in obedience and when we have messed up. He’s always there.
Daniel 3:23-25 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
You see a theme in the Scriptures, even in what I heard Him say to me: Do not be afraid. Fear not. I am with you.
Fear is the weapon of Satan. God reminds us that Greater is He that is with us and in us than he that is in the world. God is not far away. He is very, very close.
God is with us in the fiery trials and tribulations. The King Nebuchadnezzar called Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego out of the roaring furnace and they walked out – not a hair singed, not a scorch mark on their clothes, not even the smell of fire on them!
Zephaniah 3:17 The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.
Why weren’t these men burned? Because the LORD your God is with You wherever you go, even in the fire. These men had FAITH. This is what they said before they were thrown in the furnace:
Daniel 3:17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
(Notice both Daniel and Zephaniah are verses 3:17 and correlate to each other)
Look at what Ephesians says about Faith.
Ephesians 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
Faith is a Shield. It’s part of your Amor of God. Have Faith. Trust in the LORD. The LORD your God is a shield who encompasses you round about. Here are some verses to back that up.
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
We have to trust in the Lord. Our human brains cannot even fathom what the Lord can do for us. We are incapable of even imagining His marvelous works.
Genesis 15:1 After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
Deuteronomy 33:29 Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places.
Psalm 5:12 For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.
Psalm 115:11 Ye that fear the Lord, trust in the Lord: he is their help and their shield.
The fiery furnace scene reminds me of this verse:
Matthew 13:42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were not meant for the furnace. They had Faith. They were believers in YHWH.
Psalm 91 reminds us in verses 1-9:
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
God is ALWAYS with us, no matter what. And, He saves and He delivers. He’s been doing it since the beginning of our world. Remember, Jesus is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). He will never leave us. Never.
Romans 8:38-39 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.