God is Always With You

I struggle with destructive habits. I didn’t bother to make any New Year’s resolutions, because I know what I need to do, and I’m not yet prepared to do it.

Writing this blog involves revealing a lot about myself. I have not yet gotten to the point where I can plainly say some uncomfortable truths. But I’m getting there. And I know God wants me to be honest, because being honest is a kind of freedom. And that honesty can free other people who struggle with similar problems.

I want you to know how fallible I am. Even though my pride rises up and I want to keep my faults hidden. There are things I want to change about myself, but I’m not sure when I’ll be ready to. But I do know that the only way I’ll be able to change is by following God. My own devices haven’t worked, or when they did work, they didn’t work for long.

I’m always left further down the road, going the wrong way, the way I know like the back of my hand. My resolutions and good intentions fall away under the pressures of everyday life.

Maybe I’ll be forced to change. Maybe the part of me that wants to be different will conquer the part that reserves the option to have crutches to lean on.

The mess inside of me God knows through and through. That is a comfort to me because someone really knows me, someone understands me. And He’s not heading for the door when He sees the worst.

My hands aren’t clean. I could help myself more than I do. I give into temptation and I go back to square one. And God is there, ready to help me start again. He has mercy on me, even though I know I have disappointed Him and rebelled against His leading,

God dusts me off and puts me back on my feet. Even though I don’t deserve it, He renews me. And He will do the same for you.

In Isaiah Chapter 40, verses 29-31, it is written:

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. [NIV Bible]

God doesn’t force us to believe in Him. Choosing not to believe in God is an option, but it’s a mistake. God gets rejected by people over and over again, every day. People say He doesn’t exist. They say He doesn’t care. People demand that God prove Himself to them. People use His name to curse.

Human intelligence and scientific facts and theories are placed above spiritual knowledge about God. When I first started reading the Bible, I approached it as an academic learning experience. I started in the book of John. I read chapters, highlighted verses, and wrote notes. But something was happening while I was reading. Beyond learning just what the words said, I started to feel the presence of God.

The more I read the Bible, the stronger I felt. God gave me His strength. I wasn’t alone anymore, God was with me.

Start to read the Bible and God will show Himself to you. It will happen, you will gain spiritual knowledge. It will feel different than studying. The truth about God will become clear to you. You will know He does exist, He is the One True God, and you will know that’s true once you start to experience His presence.

In Revelation Chapter 3, verse 20, Jesus says, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me.” [NIV Bible]

God is ready to welcome you just as you are. You don’t have to change yourself first. You don’t have to wait for the time to feel right. You don’t have to be “good enough” to approach God.

In Psalms Chapter 103, verses 13-14, it says: As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him; for He knows how we were formed, He remembers that we are dust. [NIV Bible]

God is compassionate. He has mercy on us. He understands when we make mistakes. He knows that when we don’t feel worthy, it keeps us apart from Him. What God wants is for us to come to Him as we are, not waiting until some time in the future when we’ll be different or better. Listen for Jesus. He is knocking.

God is here, as He always is all year long. But during Christmas, people think about God more. Some would disagree with me. But I do know that the birth of Jesus is known throughout the world. And a lot of people are curious about God.

There are countless people who are struggling. They are struggling with addiction, grief, chronic pain, divorce, job loss, anxiety and depression…There are so many people who are fighting private wars that no one knows about. No one except God.

Even if God is completely off your radar, you aren’t off His. He knows you, He sees you, and He wants you to see Him.

The world is full of people who need God, but they don’t realize how available He is. The way to God is simple. Talk to Him. Read the Bible to find out Who He is. There is only one God, and He is found in the Bible.

In Isaiah Chapter 45, verse 5, God the Father says, “I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from Me there is no God.” [NIV Bible]

God will bring good into your life. In Jeremiah Chapter 29, verses 11-13, God the Father says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. [NIV Bible]

In Hebrews Chapter 4, verse 12, it says:  For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. [NIV Bible]

God knows your inner life, and He understands things about you that other people can’t. Your inner life is your thoughts, feelings, beliefs, opinions, preferences, personality…

The real you lies inside, a place that you know and God knows. For this to be honest and complete, I have to say that God knows us better than we know ourselves. It’s just true, and there’s no denying it.

There are things that all of us don’t know or understand about ourselves. There are things we’ve forgotten, feelings we can’t explain. God knows our motives and intentions. Our true motives can be concealed from other people, sometimes deliberately, and sometimes we don’t even know what truly motivates us, but God knows.

There are times when I’m embarrassed by my own thoughts, because I know God hears them. When I look back at what’s been in my mind over the years, it isn’t pretty. Other people would surely judge me if they knew all of my thoughts, my sometimes less than stellar motives, my dishonesty, my manipulations…I am guilty of all of the above.

The same things that would cause me to be rejected and judged by other people are forgiven by God. I’m not absolved of my personal responsibilities, instead, God helps me see what I can change, and then He helps me do it.

Being known so completely by God gives me hope because I know that He still loves me even though He knows it all.

Isaiah Chapter 41:13 was a favorite verse of a woman who was a strong Christian and had known God for many years. I was a part of a ladies’ Bible study in Michigan. She lived in Florida, and was a close friend of our study leader.

Her name was Jean. She offered to pray for each woman in our study, and she did it faithfully. I never met her, but she prayed for me for years. She sent me a card years ago that I’ve kept and reread. She included this verse, saying it was “so precious to me.”

Isaiah Chapter 41, verse 13 says: “For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” [NIV Bible]

God is speaking directly to you in this verse. He is saying, “I am the One True God. I have the power and authority to help you. I can give you the strength you don’t have. I can build you up on the inside.”

God takes hold of our hands and tells us not to fear! How can we not fear? This life is so full of uncertainty. Loss is imminent, where can security be found? God is the ONLY answer.

Alone, we are vulnerable. We can rally and think positive thoughts and muster all our strength, but when we come to the end of ourselves, God is there, and He says, “Do not fear, I will help you.”

We can DARE to reject fear because God is strong when we are weak, He will get us through. We will cope and heal while He holds us by the hand!

It is only human to worry. It is understandable, and for many people, it is automatic. I am not writing this post to condemn anyone. I have a long history of worrying and pessimism, and I am still learning how to go to God with the things I would have worried about before.

I do worry far less than I used to, and it is obviously an act of God. I’m not wired to assume the best outcome, and I’ve looked at worry as a way to take action against what I fear. But worry has torn me down, and it hasn’t changed a thing.

In Matthew Chapter 6, verse 27, Jesus says, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” Another translation says, “Who of you by worrying can add a single cubit to his height?” [NIV Bible]

This Scripture exposes the truth that worrying has no power. Closely related to worrying is the notion that if you prepare (and expect) the worst, you won’t be as disappointed/devastated/taken by surprise if what you fear happens.

Worry is a form of torment. Worry is draining, and it stimulates fear. Worry strips us of strength. And when we do have to face what we fear, we aren’t better equipped to handle it because we worried about it beforehand.

Bring what you’re afraid of to God. To pray is to talk to God. No eloquent words or memorized prayers are necessary. God wants to hear from the real you, in your words.

In 1st Peter, Chapter 5, verse 7, it says: Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. [NIV Bible]

As soon as you feel fear about anything, pray right then and there. God already knows what is happening. He is always your closest comrade. Go to Him immediately, tell Him what you are feeling and ask Him to take over. God is faithful, and He will give you peace while your situation unfolds.

This is something that requires practice. Worrying is a hard habit to break, but it’s doable with God. Any time you find yourself worrying, pray right away, ask God to put you into His peace.

Hear these words of God spoken to you: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”  [Isaiah Chapter 41, verse 10 NIV Bible]

In Proverbs Chapter 19, verse 11 it says:

A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense. [NIV Bible]

This is a Scripture that I come back to again and again. God reminds me of it repeatedly, and it has truly helped me. I don’t know if I was skeptical when I first read this. I might have been, because it definitely falls into the “turn the other cheek” category.

It’s hard not to defend yourself when someone does you wrong. It’s almost automatic to want to punish people who hurt you.

A couple of people offended me in the last week. One was an acquaintance, and one was a stranger. Both were rude, and I felt the hurt like a punch in the gut.

I was mad, and I had the right to be. I considered ways to show my displeasure both times. But the emotional storms passed, and I’m glad I didn’t rise to the bait. If I had, God would have understood, because He understands all of our feelings–anger, disappointment, hurt feelings, the desire for justice.

I didn’t enjoy resisting the urge to forget all about the high road. I almost didn’t do it. But I know I have more peace now than I would have if I had fought back.

There are things worth standing up for, and it’s not wrong to speak on your own behalf. But there are many gray areas in various situations when it can be hard to know how to respond. God will give you His wisdom to help you decide what to do. He did that for me.

Another Scripture guides me as well: In Romans Chapter 12, verses 17-18, it says:  Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.[NIV Bible]

I’ve learned something over the years I’ve spent knowing God. When He knows I’ve been wronged, it’s a comfort to me. Other people may not ever realize, admit or apologize for what they do, but God helps heal the anger and hurt inside me.

When God looks at you, He sees the real you, the person you are on the inside. He sees your personality, your family and your history. He knows what you fear and what hurts you. He sees the wounds from your past. He knows who you love and who loves you. He knows who you are.

God says plainly what He sees and values in people in 1st Samuel, Chapter 16, verse 6-7. Samuel was a prophet sent by God to anoint a new king over Israel. Under God’s direction, Samuel travels to Bethlehem to meet with Jesse, a man with eight sons. Samuel knows that one of Jesse’s sons will be the next king of Israel, but he doesn’t know which one. Right away Samuel notices one of the sons [named Eliab], who is tall and handsome, and this is where verse 6 begins:

When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.”

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

God isn’t biased by what we look like, how much money we make or the image we project to the world. He doesn’t judge us based on our weight, our titles, or the number of wrinkles we have.

In a critical and competitive world, God beckons us to see what really matters.