LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL
By Pastor Mensa Otabil
Sunday 4th September 2022
GOD IS WITH YOU
Scripture Reading: 1 Kings 8:54-61
May the LORD our God be with us, as He was with our fathers. May He not leave us nor forsake us, 1 Kings 8:57
This was Solomon’s prayer when he dedicated the Temple in Jerusalem to God. He saw the Temple as a reminder of God’s presence with His people at all times. In the New Testament, the Lord Jesus assured us of His presence through the Holy Spirit at all times. That is the living reality of our faith. God is with us.
Even with the strong assurance that the Lord is with us always; there are still times when we tend to worry ourselves about everything that could happen. How often have we missed God’s blessing because we were fearful to take that step of faith?
Some of us wake up in the morning and set the wheels of worry rolling. Instead of setting our minds on the goodness of the Lord and what He can do for us, we cripple ourselves with fear and worry. We make our burdens heavy and unbearable with a lot of speculation and “what ifs”.
We go like this, “Will my car make it to work? Will I get sick? Will I get fired? Will I have an accident? Will I make it home again safely? Will my home be here when I come back? What about my kids and my spouse? On and on we go as we poison our souls and squeeze God out of the equations of our lives.
Just as faith will release the power of God to fulfill our desires, fear will activate the forces of evil to turn your worries into reality. If you dwell on all the negative “what ifs”, your worries will drive you into a state of panic. In that state of panic you will begin seeing your fears come true. You worry that you are going to get ill. The worry causes your stress level to rise, which in turn, brings on all kinds of physical symptoms that will eventually make you ill.
Today, make a choice to start a faith-filled life that is focused on the firm assurance that the Lord is with you. Live out your day in faith.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I know you are with me. I reject the spirit of fear and embrace the spirit of faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen.