“Fear thou not: for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness. For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.” Isaiah 41:10, 13
These are the words of God to Israel, His little flock. If God is with us, we have no reason for fear or worry.
How can we know that God is with us?
Some time ago in Brazil, a bus traveling at night went off the road and many passengers died in the accident. Who were these passengers? They were young people returning home from a religious conference. Was God with them?
In the last World War, in England, a bomb fell on a church, killing many worshippers. Also, in Italy, a church was destroyed in an earthquake, killing those inside. Was God with them?
Often Christians, even ministers and leaders are killed instantly in accidents. Why did God not protect these religious people? Why did the angels not save them from these accidents? How does this agree with Psalm 91?
“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.” Psalm 91:1, 5, 7, 10–12
Are we to be fearful, trembling as we enter traffic, in case we are involved in an accident? Or should we be confident that nothing will happen to us? Do we say, “I am a child of God and the angels will protect me”? Or when we are in an airplane, should we fear to enter the airplane just in case it may crash? Or should we trust God, that He will protect the plane so that no harm can come to us?
In the world we can expect trials and difficulties. Jesus left a legacy to His disciples. “In the world, ye shall have tribulation.” John 16:33
Paul also writes in Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.”
Now, we have to differentiate between discipline, correction, or a test to the child of God, versus the misfortunes and accidents which fall upon the ungodly, or hypocrites, the unfaithful Christians, because God has withdrawn His protective hand from them.
“And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as children, My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him: For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but He for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.” Hebrews 12:5–11
In verse 10 we are told that it is for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness. And verse 11 tells us that the chastening may not be joyous now, but it will yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness. Troubles and trials are blessings in disguise for the people of God.
“[In] the terrible calamities that from week to week are taking place. . . . God’s purpose may be read. They are one of the means by which He seeks to arouse men and women to a sense of their danger.” –Testimonies for the Church, vol. 8, p. 252
“[God] permits us to come in contact with suffering and calamity in order to call us out of our selfishness; He seeks to develop in us. . . compassion and tenderness, and love.” –Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 388
Those who are unfaithful in tithes and offerings, “[God] let the curse fall upon them, permitting the spoiler to destroy their fruits and to bring calamities upon them.” –Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, p. 389
“All who in this world render true service to God or man receive a preparatory training in the school of sorrow.” –Education, p. 151
The weightier the trust, and the higher the service, the closer is the test, and the more severe the discipline.
David writes, “Blessed is the man whom Thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of Thy law.” Psalm 94:12
“Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty.” Job 5:17
Yet, some Christians dare to say, “God has left me,” when trials surround them, when God is trying to help them, to draw them to Himself. This gives us a different picture of trials and sorrows. They are given in love.
We pray, “Our Father which art in heaven.” When we say, “Our Father” this shows that we are His children. Our Father is good, He is loving, He is kind and compassionate. Not one needless sorrow will He bring upon us. Not one trial without reason. In all His chastening, we see divine love towards us.
Wonderful is the relationship between the Father in heaven and His sons and daughters here on earth. There is mutual understanding between them—love and affection, which is above all worldly love; greater even than a mother’s love for her children.
“That they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me.” John 17:21
The Father in heaven, Jesus Christ, and God’s children can be in perfect unity—as one. When we reach this relationship, then we are not afraid to enter into busy traffic, or board a plane, or wherever else we may go. He is always with us. If something happens to us it is only correction or discipline from our loving Father who was willing to give His Son to die for us.
Jesus said, “Come unto Me. . . and learn of Me; . . . and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” Matthew 11:28–29. Jesus also said, “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” Matthew 28:20
To be in the company of Jesus is the most wonderful experience man can have. Suddenly all is so peaceful, so wonderful. Sacred joy and happiness fill our souls. And Jesus promised to be with us all the time, not just sometimes. Our human eyes cannot see God, but we can sense His presence. We can feel that He is with us. And this sense of God being with us gives us confidence and security, better than all the insurance policies, police forces, and armies around us.
“As a shield from temptation and an inspiration to purity and truth, no other influence can equal the sense of God’s presence.” –Education, p. 255. It is a great privilege to mortal man, to live in the presence of God.
“By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing Him who is invisible.” Hebrews 11:27. Moses lived as seeing God. He had a
sense of His presence.
Joseph also felt God’s presence when he said, “There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” Genesis 39:9
Moses met God in the wilderness—not in the temple or the sanctuary, but at the burning bush. “And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. and He said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.” Exodus 3:3–5
What made the ground in the wilderness holy? Was it not the presence of God?
God is great in majesty and in holiness. If our eyes would be opened to see Him in His glory, we would die. We would be consumed in a moment. Therefore, God has hidden His visible image from us. But yet, He is with us. We feel and sense His presence.
Jacob was terrified in the presence of God. “And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not. And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” Genesis 28:16–17. The wilderness place became a house of God to him.
Moses, the man of God was terrified in the presence of God. “(For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart. And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)” Hebrews 12:20–21. “For our God is a consuming fire.” v. 29
Adam and Eve did not want to face God after they had sinned, so they went into hiding. They feared being in His presence.
“And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” Revelation 6:15–17
When Jesus comes, the mightiest men of war, the greatest and the least will say to the mountains and rocks, “fall on us.” So terrible is the presence of God to them. So terrible is the presence of God to the sinner, to the dishonest, to the selfish, to the proud, to the adulterer, to the careless. An unfaithful Christian cannot tolerate the presence of God.
Yet, brothers and sisters, in our daily prayers we ask the Lord to be with us. We ask for His presence. Do we realize that the presence of God makes our home a holy place? Or the way that we walk on? Wherever we go, the sacred presence of God follows us there. Are we aware of His presence? Do we understand His holiness?
Isaiah writes, “For those things hath Mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at My word.” Isaiah 66:2
“But the LORD is in His holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before Him.” Habakkuk 2:20
With great reverence and awe, we are to show respect for His presence, He who made the heavens and the earth, the Creator, dwells in our company, in our presence.
How careful must we be in our words, in our thoughts, and in our behaviour, to show reverence that is due to the God of heaven who has come to us, and spends time in our company?
“He sent redemption unto His people: He hath commanded His covenant for ever: holy and reverend is His name.” Psalm 111:9
Never should His name be spoken lightly or thoughtlessly, even in prayer; its frequent or needless repetition should be avoided.
The sense of God’s holy presence is a safeguard against sin and temptation. We read in Hebrews 12 of Moses’ experience on Mount Sinai. Then we read in the following verses, “But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.” Hebrews 12:22–24
We have not come to Mount Sinai as did Moses; we have come unto Mount Zion, unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. We have come to God, to the Judge of all, and to Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant. How much more respectful should we be than Moses and the people of Israel were at Sinai?
Our church, made of wood and brick, becomes the house of God by His presence. Just as the ground in the wilderness at the burning bush was sacred, so also our church building becomes sacred with God’s presence. It is a holy sanctuary where God has promised to meet us. It is a home where God’s people find peace, safety and security as they enter into His presence. David said, “For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.” Psalm 84:10
Yet, this same house of God becomes a judgment hall to the breakers of His law, to the sinner. The Jewish people could not stand the presence of Jesus. They were bothered by His presence. They felt uneasy in His pure and holy company, and so they left Him alone.
Can it be, brothers and sisters, that we have lost His presence, His company? If so, we have no safeguard against sin and temptation, no protection. Yet, how many Christians are walking alone—alone they venture to travel in this world of sin and evil. Alone they venture upon Satan’s enchanted ground. Alone they face temptation, only to fall a helpless victim to the power of Satan.
If you have lost the company of Jesus, if you do not feel the sense of His presence, then find out the reason why. Could it be that there is sin in your life? For example, light, vain conversations, or evil thoughts, or love of the world, or indifference towards others? Whatever sin it may be, work out a reformation. Put away sin—selfishness, human pride, and jealousy. Stay upon your knees in prayer until you find your Saviour again, until peace and sacred joy fills your heart once more. And when you find Him again, then jealously guard this wonderful privilege—you and God, together as one. Let nothing come in between anymore. Allow no sin to separate you from the presence of God.
Repeat constantly, “I am a Christian. I am a child of God. I must use every moment to His glory.” Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. Walk with Him as Enoch walked, daily, realizing the sacredness of His presence. When we do this, we will have nothing to fear in this life; we slowly become fit to spend eternity in the company of our Saviour, in the presence of God. Amen.
Adapted from a sermon by Timo Martin