Close Beside Me

Transcript:

This Podcast is a repost, originally posted on Nov 22, 2017

Series: Experience God’s Nearness

This week the study is been on experiencing the nearness of God.
The reason we have not been enlightened about God’s nearness is because:

• We have not been enlightened to the truth of the scripture.
• We don’t know what God’s word says.
• We don’t know His promises.
• We don’t know His heart for His return or His desires.
• We don’t know how God functions.

That is the reason we are totally ignorant of His presence in our lives. But the more we become aware of the nature of God, the more we become aware of the promises He has for us. The more we become aware of the style of functioning that God has in His beauty, in His glory, in His greatness the way that He works and ministers and how close He is to us we begin to:

• Respond to it.
• Live a life of confidence.
• Live a life where we are surrendered to God’s presence, His word and His love.

Psalm 23 says, “Even when I walk through the darkest valley I will not be afraid, for You are close beside me, Your rod and Your staff, they protect and they comfort me.”

David sings to the Lord, saying God is his shepherd and he will not need anything. Even though there would be days when he would go through some darkest valleys, he wouldn’t necessarily understand things or have answers to all the questions of life or even see the path ahead of him, but still sees that God is the one leading him. In spite of that he would believe that God is with him and close to him.

David had a reason not to be afraid. So many times when people go through circumstances that are challenging, that are difficult we find it very easy to walk up to them and tell them not to give up or lose hope.

But David not just says that he will not be afraid, but the reason he says he will not be afraid is because he knows that God is with him.

In the middle of your challenge or problem, would you disconnect from your problems and your valley experiences and connect with the One who is near you right now. Do you believe that Jesus is close beside you? If yes, would you just reach out and touch Him and try to talk to Him and get Him to minister and talk to you.

The Bible says His rod and His staff, have two functions. It is also meant to protect us and also to comfort us.

There are times when it has to be used against your enemies to bring down those that would try to attack the sheep, that rod is supposed to be your protector. And at that time that same rod becomes your comfort.

In other times, if you are not walking in the right path that God had ordained that comforting rod is supposed to bring you back into the fold to the track that is set before for you.

When we begin to understand God’s nearness is when we begin to engage with Him. We begin to experience His blessings and His protection and His comfort in different areas of our life.

We believe that this thing of God being your comfort and protection will become real to you. It will become so real to you that there will be nothing in this world that will be able to convince you the other way.

Let us pray together.

“Daddy God I pray over your children, I pray over your sheep and I declare that in this season there will be an experience that You are close beside them. Every valley, every darkness, every loneliness, every struggle that they are going through, Lord You understand them and You are with them right in the middle of this. So we trust You to make a way and to protect them and to help them even in the worst days of their life. Thank you for hearing our prayer, in Jesus name we pray. Amen.”