God Was With Him

God Was With Him

God’s presence does not mean the absence of trouble; it means you are never alone in the trouble.

Scripture
“Now Saul feared David. It was clear that GOD was with David and had left Saul.” — (1 Samuel 18:12) 

Explanation
I think we sometimes underestimate the presence of God in our lives. We ask, “If God is with me, why am I going through all these troubles? Why is this happening to me?”

Isn’t that the same question Gideon asked the angel? “If the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about?” (Judges 6:13).

God never promised us a trouble-free life. He promised to be with us through our troubles. He says that when we pass through the waters, He will be with us, and when we walk through the fire, we will not be burned (Isaiah 43:2).

Think about Joseph. The Bible says the Lord was with him, yet he was sold into slavery, falsely accused, thrown into prison, and forgotten by the chief butler.

“ But the Lord was with Joseph, and he \[though a slave\] was a successful and prosperous man...” (Genesis 39:2 AMP).

Joseph’s circumstances did not cancel God’s presence. He was still a slave, but God was with him. He was in prison, but God was with him.

In our text, Saul feared David because he recognised that God was with him. David had something Saul could not ignore: the presence of God.

God’s presence is not measured by the absence of problems but by His faithfulness in the middle of them.

Application
Whatever you are going through today, do not conclude that God has abandoned you simply because things are not working out as you expected.

Like Joseph, remain faithful wherever you find yourself. In the house of Potiphar or in the prison, keep doing what is right. Your circumstances may change, but God's presence remains your confidence.

If there is one person you want in your corner, it is God! And the good news is that He is not only for you; through Christ, He is with you and in you.

If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31).

Reflection
Am I judging God's presence in my life by my circumstances, or am I trusting His promise to remain with me through them?

Prayer
Father, thank You for Your abiding presence in my life. Help me to recognise that You are with me even when life does not make sense. Give me the grace to remain faithful in every situation, knowing that I am never alone. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Discussion Question
Have you ever experienced God's presence in a difficult situation when everything around you seemed to suggest that He had abandoned you? What did you learn from that experience?

Have a fruitful day.

(Dr.) Emmanuel Okoro
(aka Dr. Lift)

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