DAILY DEVOTIONAL FROM PASTOR WESLEY March 3, 2021

God is Always with Us

The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, to whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the exile of Jerusalem in the fifth month. Now the word of the LORD came to me saying, Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you were born, I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations." Then I said, Alas, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, Because I am a youth." But the LORD said to me, do not say, `I am a youth,' Because everywhere I send you, you shall go, and all that I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, For I am with you to deliver you," declares the LORD. Then the LORD stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me, Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, To build and to plant." Jeremiah 1:1-10

When was the last time you felt the presence of God in your life? We all long to experience Him abiding with us personally and intimately, and when we can’t sense His closeness, we may think something is wrong in our relationship. But that’s not necessarily true.

In the Old Testament, the Lord appeared to prophets like Moses, Jeremiah, and Isaiah to give them His messages for the people. Today, the revelation of God is available to us in His written Word. In addition, believers in Jesus Christ have also been indwelt by the Comforter—God the Holy Spirit is always with us, though we’re not usually aware of Him in an overt way. Sometimes we sense His presence to a greater or lesser degree, but this is not something we can orchestrate or manipulate.

Remember that we are called to walk by faith, not by experience. The Lord has assured us He will be with us always even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). So, on those days when you can’t sense His presence, try to rely on this truth. It will sustain you with strength to serve, endurance for hardship, and comfort in suffering.

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