I Am With You

Are your house, your hormones and your husband driving you mad? Does the sensationalism of the news, the health care debate and the “epidemic” of the swine flu send you running for cover? Do you feel overworked, understaffed and severely underpaid? Is the month too long and the money too short? Are the demands too great and the time too small? Have you ever wondered how did I get myself here and how do I get out? Whether it be the joy of a new job or the loss of a dream, we have all had moments in our life when we feel stressed out, maxed out or pushed to the limit.

We can say anxiety is normal, that it’s natural and we can continue to live in bondage to it. We as Christians though are called to freedom and we can no longer live in this bondage. The Lord wants us to trust Him and when we are anxious and when we worry, we don’t trust. Essentially what we are saying is that a situation is too big to be handled by God. When we are anxious we are controlled by our circumstances rather than allowing our Master to control them.

What are we to do? Lets take a moment and do a brief glimpse of Biblical men and women who have had basket case moments in their lives – unexpected events where they felt overwhelmed, out of control, and absolutely helpless. This is in no means a comprehensive list, yet an overview of what the Lord says from beginning to end. What the Lord says to them, he also says to you and says to me.

Take a look with me:
Isaac landed in a basket of Injustice. The Philistines were filling up his water wells and kicking him out of his land.

Gen 26:24 “That night the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you…”

During a time of famine, Jacob faced a basket of emptiness; and was told in his old age to leave the land he was in.

Gen 46:3-4, “I am God, the god of your father,” he said. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt for I will make you into a great nation there. I will go down to Egypt with you and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes”

During their wilderness experience, the Israelites faced impossible circumstances – the Red Sea was in front of them and the Egyptian army behind them. I would like to take a moment to remind you that at this point the Lord was physically with them: leading them by a cloud by day and a pillar of fire at night.

Exodus 14:13 Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still."

Joshua took command and entered a basket of leadership.

Deut 31:6, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” In a charge from David, Solomon was placed in the basket of authority

David also said to Solomon his son when entering a position of authority,

I Chronicles 28:20 "Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished.

Jeremiah – youth was his basket when God called him:

Jeremiah 1:4-8, The word of the Lord came to me, saying, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." "Ah, Sovereign Lord," I said, "I do not know how to speak; I am only a child." But the Lord said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a child.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the Lord.

Vocational change was one of many baskets the disciples found themselves in.

Luke 5:8-10 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon's partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men."

Paul while in Corinth wasn’t exactly the most popular of people. Acts 18;6 says that they became abusive. Physical danger or one might say ministry marked his basket. The Lord’s response:

Acts 18:9 “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attach you and harm you, because I have many people in this city.”

My favorite though is Joseph- talk about being put in a state of helplessness. He had a basket full of relational woes, with what seemed to be betrayal. After all his fiancé was pregnant and not by him.

Matthew 1:20-23 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"--which means, "God with us."

You see, that is the beauty – God loved us so much that he sent His son, His only son into the world. His name was Immanuel – God with us. He loved us enough to tabernacle with us.

The differences in the situations are striking; to some it was a lacking - Lack of resources, lack of confidence, lack of skill and to others the moments came in the newness: A new land, a new position, a new life, but do you hear what the constant saying of the Lord is? Did you miss it? He is saying, “Fear not,” “Do not be afraid,” “I am with you.” Our God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow and what He said to our forefathers in faith, he is saying to us in our basket case moments of life, "Fear not, Do not be afraid, I. AM. WITH. YOU.”