I am so glad that God does not have a hold button or a
complicated system of information input. Rather, we have multiple reassurances
in the Bible that He is always with us and that He hears our every prayer. As
Psalm 139 says, He is intimately acquainted with all of our ways. And as we read in the Great Commission in
Matthew 28, Jesus is with us always. We even know from Scripture that we have
been sealed and are secure in Christ by the Holy Spirit. “In Him, you also,
after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having
also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is
given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s
own possession, to the praise of His glory.” (Ephesians 1:13–14, NASB95) Jesus,
himself, assures us with, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they
follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no
one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is
greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I
and the Father are one.” (John 10:27–30, NASB95)
And regarding our prayers, even when it feels to us like God
may not be hearing, we can know that He does. John tells us, “This is the
confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His
will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know
that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.” (1 John 5:14–15,
NASB95) The reality is that God does not answer every request the way we want,
or even when we want, but He does answer them perfectly in all ways and without
fail.
A former fellow staff member and very close friend used to
say every week, “God always answers prayer. He is never late and He is never
early, but He is always on time.” You would think after hearing this as many
times as I did over many, many years I would have it memorized perfectly, but I
don’t. And you know, for as long as I’ve know God and seen His faithfulness,
there are times (more than I would like) that I neglected this truth as I hoped
for or expected something else. But the truth is that He has always been present
and He has always been attentive, and still is. My responsibility is to come
before Him in worship and to offer back to Him everything that He has given me
in service (Romans 12:1-2), to continue to bring everything to Him, and to trust
Him to attend to every detail.
“And my God will supply all your needs according to His
riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be the glory forever
and ever. Amen.” (Philippians 4:19–20, NASB95)
Today in “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young (9/10)
I am always available to you. Once you have trusted Me as
your Savior, I never distance Myself from you. Sometimes you may feel distant
from Me. Recognize that as feeling; do not confuse it with reality. The Bible
is full of My promises to be with you always. As I assured Jacob, when he was
journeying away from home into unknown places, I am with you and will watch
over you wherever you go. My last recorded promise to My followers was: Surely
I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Let these assurances of My
continual Presence fill you with Joy and Peace. No matter what you may lose in
this life, you can never lose your relationship with Me.
“”For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake,
but My lovingkindness will not be removed from you, and My covenant of peace
will not be shaken,” Says the Lord
who has compassion on you.” (Isaiah 54:10, NASB95)
“Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go,
and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have
done what I have promised you.” (Genesis 28:15, NASB95)
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