Real Hope: The Promises of GodSample

I Am Always With You

From God’s promises to the Israelites (Deuteronomy 31:6) to Jesus’ last line of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:20), God’s faithful people have been assured of divine presence on an ongoing basis. Such is the unchanging consistency of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit (see John 14:17). ‘I am always with you’ is a trinity promise to bank on.

But what does it mean for you and me? We can find an answer in 1 Corinthians. As we can read in chapter 10, the apostle Paul brings up a few examples of poor form from God’s people in the past. Go ahead, take a look. He then explains that these examples establish that ‘whoever thinks he stands must be careful not to fall’ (10:12). Thinking we can stand means believing we have the power of will to not ‘desire evil things’. To resist them on our own steam. Relying on self to withstand any temptation to not live for God.

As Paul’s example indicates, such self-reliance ends in a ‘fall’ not a win. But he swiftly reveals in verse 13 that ‘God is faithful’ and always provides a way out of temptation so that it can be endured. Don’t read that promise too quickly. Chew on it for a bit, because its ‘I am always with you’ significance should not be underdone. No matter what we face, God is faithful. God’s not going anywhere, even if we are tempted to. Trust and know this truth, in any circumstance, particularly during the temptations of life.

Written by BEN MCEACHEN