I Will Be With You
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Key Verse: “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee; when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.” Selected Scripture: |
THIS SCRIPTURE MAY REMIND us of very similar words that were spoken to Moses by our Heavenly Father. When he was called into service by God to return to Egypt and be the instrument used to deliver the Jews out of bondage, he was encouraged by the words, “I will be with thee.” (Exod. 3:12) Moses was so distrustful of himself that, as we recall from the account, he apologized, pleading his unfitness for service. The Lord assured Moses that he himself would be responsible for the great task that was ahead. The forty years in the Land of Midian had taught Moses meekness and distrust of his ability. He realized the magnitude of the undertaking that he had been called to complete and felt his own insufficiency.
When we come to doubt our own worthiness, encouragement will come to every true servant of the Lord who humbly relies upon his promises while striving to faithfully walk in the way. “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31) Like Moses, we must learn that it is not our work but God’s work; not our power or ability but the divine power working in and through us. God would keep his promise to Moses, and in turn to the Jews, and would deliver them from their bondage and guide them through all of their adversities to the promised land of Canaan. All the people of God who would be useful and used in his service must learn this lesson, as is further stressed, “Without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5)—that is, separate from me. The divine power that operates through our loving Heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus, through the word of Truth and through the followers of Jesus, can operate in the weakest member of the body of Christ.
To abide in Christ means to be subject to all the will of our great Lord, and gladly we should submit to all of the experiences that his wisdom would see best to permit for us. The realization that God is with us, and that he is constantly looking for ways to help us in all of life’s experiences should be a constant source of encouragement to us. He has promised, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (Heb. 13:5) Each one should carefully watch for the leadings of divine providence and realize that only as he is cooperating with God can he accomplish anything of value.
We, as Moses did, should exercise humility in all things, and be ready to be used for his purposes. We should thank him for being a faithful Father to us, and follow these words, “In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths.” (Prov. 3:6) Our Heavenly Father assures us that we will have his help and guidance to assist us through any experience that may come our way. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Phil. 4:13) By his grace we have been granted the blessed assurance that, as our God, he will help us to carry out the responsibilities that lie ahead. “Thus saith God the Lord, he that created the heavens, … I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee.”—Isa. 42:5,6