“I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for He is right beside me.”-Psalm 16:8
One of the most assuring, comforting, and soul-strengthening truths we can be confident in as Christians is that we are never alone. God is with us! No matter the circumstance, no matter how easy or heavy we may feel our load is, God is right beside us.
Do you know the Lord is always with you? As David prayed and penned Psalm 16, one truth that deeply encouraged him was that he was convinced that the Lord was always with him. This truth is echoed a variety of ways in the Bible. For example, Psalm 23:4 says, “Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for You are close beside me…” Here, David focused on God’s constant sustaining presence, even in the darkest times. In Psalm 121:5, the psalmist reflected on and affirmed God’s protective presence, writing, “The Lord Himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.” What a life-altering reality! We are not alone, ever. God is present to help in our times of doubt. He is present to help in our times of depression and discouragement, in our hurts, our confusion, our temptations, our joys. He is with us through every high and every low. We are to remember His presence! We are to trust His presence, even when we don’t feel it or see it. We are to have faith that God is always there. For the truth is, He is an ever-present help! Psalm 46:1 puts it this way, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
When we look at the last words of Jesus recorded in Matthew, we read of Jesus offering truth to the disciples, and ultimately to every disciple of Jesus to come, that He wanted them and us to never forget. Jesus said, “And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Brothers and sisters in Christ, let’s allow this truth to sink into our minds and hearts everyday! Jesus is with us. His presence makes all the difference in how we see and respond to everything else around us. So, let's enjoy His presence. Let's be thankful for His presence. And since He is always with us, we can echo what David said long ago, “I will not be shaken, for He is right beside me.”
Godspeed, friends!
-Scott