I Am With You

At Risen Nation Church, we are in the midst of a transformation.  God has shown us that He is doing a new thing in our midst, if we are willing to fix our gaze on Him and obey what He says.

One Saturday our pastor preached from the books of Haggai and Ezra about what God was doing with the remnant of Israel as they were returning to the land of promise after being exiled for so many years.  He pointed out three things:

1. Consider your ways
2. Foundation of God's house is Worship
3. Comparison kills

That next week I was rereading the first chapter of Haggai in order to go deeper with Holy Spirit about what was happening and He stopped me on two versus.

"And now, thus said יהוה of hosts, “Consider your ways!"" Haggai 1:5 The Scriptures (ISR)

God had been pointing out to the people that they had neglected to rebuild His temple, but instead was focusing only on themselves and their own survival.  So God sent Haggai to instruct them - consider your ways!

He then showed them the reality of what their everyday lives really looked like because the blessings of God were not with them.  They planted seed expecting an abundance, but harvested little.  They would sit down to eat expecting to be full, but they really didn't have enough to bring satisfaction. They would pour out wine to drink, but there wasn't enough to to feel full.  And when they did earn money from their fields, it was like there were holes in their pockets, because there wasn't enough money for what they needed.

They hadn't considered the circumstances of their lives, their belief systems, the consequences of their choices and were blinded by trying to survive to stop and realize that their focus was in the wrong place.  So God stepped in and begin showing them what He was seeing and what they were missing.

The people heard what God said, and did what he told them - they considered their ways, and then obeyed the command of God to rebuild His temple.  So God gave the people another word:

“And Ḥaggai, the messenger of יהוה, spoke the message of יהוה to the people, saying, “I am with you, declares יהוה.”” Haggai 1:13 The Scriptures (ISR)

Now this word - I am with you - took me off guard.

When my children obey the commands I give them, or change their ways from disobedience to obedience, my words of encouragement isn't "I am with you."  It usually is, Thank you, Good job, Well done, I'm so proud of you.

But God said - I am with you.  How does that phrase encourage the people?  So I sat down with Holy Spirit and the Word and asked Him - how does being with me bring encouragement?  Holy Spirit then took me on a journey to look at several other versus where God had responded with the same phrase or a variation of that phrase.

• When God is with you - He brings you protection.
  “When you pass through the waters, I am with you; and through rivers, they do not overflow you. When you walk through fire, you are not scorched, and a flame does not burn you.” Isaiah 42:2 The Scriptures (ISR)
  “And these three men, Shaḏraḵ, Mĕyshaḵ, and Aḇĕḏ-Neḡo, fell down bound into the midst of the burning furnace of fire. Then Sovereign Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar was amazed, and stood up in haste and spoke and said to his counsellors, “Did we not throw three men bound into the midst of the fire?” They answered and said to the sovereign, “Certainly, O sovereign.” He answered and said, “Look! I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire. And they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of Elahin.”” Daniel 3:23-25 The Scriptures (ISR)
  
  
• When God is with you - He gives you courage and strength.
  ““Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid, nor be discouraged, for יהוה your Elohim is with you wherever you go.”” Joshua 1:9 The Scriptures (ISR)
  
  
• When God is with you - He drives away fear and anxiety.  He will uphold you directly with His right hand.
  “Do not fear, for I am with you. Do not look around, for I am your Elohim. I shall fortify you, I shall also help you, I shall also uphold you with the right hand of My righteousness.’” Isaiah 41:10 The Scriptures (ISR)
  “And יהוה appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the Elohim of your father Aḇraham. Do not fear, for I am with you, and shall bless you and increase your seed for My servant Aḇraham’s sake.”” Genesis 26:24 The Scriptures (ISR)
• When God is with you - He never leaves you, He guards you and fulfills His promises He has made to you.
  ““And see, I am with you and shall guard you wherever you go, and shall bring you back to this land. For I am not going to leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.”” Genesis 28:15 The Scriptures (ISR)
• When God is with you - He delivers you.
  ““Do not fear their faces, for I am with you to deliver you,” declares יהוה.” Jeremiah 1:8 The Scriptures (ISR)

To summarize - when God says "I am with you," He brings with Himself:

• Confidence
• Protection
• Courage
• Strength
• Someone to lean on
• Comfort

He will also chase away:

• Fear
• The enemy

And He is with you to always bring purpose and a pathway to fulfill His directions.

So when the remnant of Israel began to obey His Word and did the work of rebuilding His temple, for God to say as encouragement "I am with you!", the people understood that God Himself was among them and He is the one that brings success and He was helping them accomplish the work He had instructed them to do.  By considering their ways, and having a conversation with God, He showed them the lies that they were believing.  Those lies were driving them to live out their lives contrary to the will of God.  But by being open to the correction of God, coming out of agreement with the lies that they were living, and obeying they were benefitting from the promise of God that He is with them.

Now, what about you?  Have you considered your ways before God?  Have you looked at your circumstances and asked - what is really going on?  Have you asked God - what am I missing that needs to be changed in how I think?  What lies am I believing today that is distorting how I view God?  Am I focusing on myself or am I fixing my eyes on Jesus?

Ask Holy Spirit - what do you want to talk about today?  And then take the journey with Him to become more intimate with Him.  Remember - His name is Emmanuel - God with us.  Jesus has promised those that are in the Kingdom of God that He will never leave us, nor forsake us.  He is always available and desiring to deepen the relationship between you both.