‘the Lord is with us.’ This is broad & big. It’s O.T., it’s pre-law, it’s during the time of Mosaic law, it’s declared as Immanuel - ‘God with us’, it’s N.T., it’s in Paul’s letters, John’s letters, James letter, Peter’s letters. You could say it this way - ‘the Lord is with us’ - Cover to Cover.
1. He is ‘Ever-Present’. Right Now, Here Now. Do we have sight of this?
He is near. With Us. Among Us. In Us. Through Us.
Is this in our sight - Vision? ‘the Lord is with us.’
2. Vision comes like faith comes. Rom. 10:17
Psalm 46:1-3
1 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though its waters roar and be troubled,
Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah 4 There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.
Heb. 13:5-6
NKJV 5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”[a] 6 So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”
AMP ..for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]
6 So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]. What can man do to me?
We began this journey last week in looking at Gideon. Remember…..
Judges 6:11-12 11 Now the Angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth tree which was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, in order to hide it from the Midianites.
The angel of the Lord was a manifestation of Jesus before His incarnation.
Notice that the Angel of the Lord came and sat down. After the children began to call on the Lord - mercy, help, repentance. He walked right into Gideon’s stuff. He is with us. To HELP us. To bring us UP. To bring us INTO His Purpose.
Gideon is hiding. Gideon is full of fear.
What do people do when they’re afraid? They do things they’re not supposed to do. Like thresh wheat in a winepress. Winepresses are for crushing grapes. Threshing floors are for threshing wheat. But Gideon is so afraid, he’s doing things he’s not supposed to do.
God never wanted it to be this way. Gideon is not supposed to be afraid of the Midianites; he and his people are supposed to drive them out. But his fear has taken hold of him. Maybe you can relate to that.
Are there things in our lives that have taken hold of us, things that God never intended for us to be connected to or afraid of? If so, then I think you’ll relate to Gideon.
If anybody else were to walk up to Gideon in this moment, they’d see a scared little man trying not to draw attention to himself. Yet, the angel of the Lord addresses Gideon with a different title: “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior,” (6:12).
Gideon had a vision problem. He was stuck in what was. The Lord’s WORD got Him UP and INTO Purpose.
3. NPC 2018 - The Lord is with us. If we’re stuck - we can come Up, Out & Into - Right Now - Here Now.
The Hand of the Lord will be evident. It will come upon many for the 1st time to…..
Numbers 14:8-9 8 If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’ 9 Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.”
What does the Lord delight in?
Isa. 66:1 This is what the Lord says: “Heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool. Could you build me a temple as good as that?
Could you build me such a resting place? 2 My hands have made both heaven and earth; they and everything in them are mine. I, the Lord, have spoken! “"But on this one will I look: those who have humble and contrite hearts, who tremble at my word.
Those who’s heart is humble and moldable and who honor the Word of God.
Heb. 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
God seems to delight in a people who believe Him.
God is pleased with Faith. Heb. 11:6 - Faith Alone in Him Alone.
No One or Nothing Else.
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