Matthew 28:20
“…And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Have you ever been amazed by the fact that God sees you at all times, as well as all of your brothers and sisters in the Lord, too? We may wonder how in the world He does it, but the fact is, He is God and can do anything. He sees us and has seen us all of our lives and knows every detail of everything we’ve ever done. Yet we are given the privilege of communicating with Him and knowing Him within the current limits of our human comprehension.
Knowing that God always sees us fosters security and perhaps, in some cases, shame, as we know we aren’t always showing our best behavior. Nevertheless, seeing healthy parents with their imperfect children, we can derive some sense of the love and care God has for His own children. It’s a love that wants to be present and provide for their best well-being.
Our God shows His faithfulness and consideration even to the seemingly unlikely person, as shown in Genesis 16:13. Hagar was an Egyptian slave to Sarah, Abraham’s wife. Sarah had given her to her husband, Isaac, to produce the child promised to them. It had been prophesied that within a year of the Lord and two men’s visit (Genesis 18:10), Sarah would be pregnant with a son, though she and her husband were very old and past normal childbearing years.
Later, Hagar, amidst the frustration of being pregnant by Issac and now mistreated by his wife Sarah, took her child and attempted to run away. God met her on her journey with some comforting words, promising to increase her descendants and convincing her to go back and submit to Sarah. Hagar recognized God as one who saw and considered her suffering, prompting Hagar to call God “El Roi,” meaning “the God who sees me.”
In stories like these, as well as in our own lives, we see that God is not distant from His children, but very much aware of and compassionate toward them, watching over them and offering help as He deems necessary.
Thankfully, God notices those who feel unseen, neglected, or distressed, as he did for Hagar in the wilderness. The name “El Roi” is often used to bring comfort to those who feel lonely or forgotten, reassuring them that God knows their situation and sees them.
Another awesome name signifying God being with us is “Jehovah Immeka,” Hebrew for “the LORD is with you,” which speaks to His abiding presence, companionship, and strength. Referenced from Judges 6:12, this name indicates a time when the angel of the Lord addressed a man named Gideon as a “mighty man of valor,” though Gideon saw himself as defeated. He was frustrated and discouraged and questioned, “If the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?” He felt the Lord had abandoned him and was giving him over to their enemies, the Midianites.
I can just hear the Lord’s calm voice, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” Surely, God would be present to provide help for the battle Gideon was to face. But Gideon’s reply was, “But how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” To which the Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”
You’d think that would be enough for Gideon, but it wasn’t, and I don’t blame him because I’ve seen myself in some instances similar to this conversation. “If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me. Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before you.” The Lord simply replies, “I will wait until you return.” The story goes on to show Gideon preparing a food offering for the Lord, and the Lord consuming it with fire. Yet the Lord assured him that he would not die and to not be afraid.
Yet the story continues, with the Lord giving Gideon further instructions and Gideon still trying to confirm them by testing the Lord with a fleece. I love this story. Poor Gideon, he must have been terrified. Before the battle, the Lord told Gideon that he had too many men, and from the initial 32,000, he interestingly dwindled them all down to 300. He didn’t want anyone boasting it was anyone but the Lord’s doing!
Nevertheless, Gideon obeyed all of the Lord’s instructions, though with doubt, fear, and needing reassurance. Ultimately, he secured the victory over the Midianites. As Judges 8:28 says, “Thus Midian was subdued before the Israelites and did not raise its head again. During Gideon’s lifetime, the land had peace forty years.”
Another time God assures that He sees and cares is shown in Joshua 1. Here, He sought to encourage Joshua that He was with him wherever he went as he’d lead the Israelites into the Promised Land.
God promised Joshua, “No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.” Then, after a series of events, the Bible says, “So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land” (Joshua 6:27). Whew! Talk about God being with His folk!
No doubt, God is graciously merciful, but as far as I can see from the Bible, God don’t play bout His kids! Keep close to your heart God’s truth that “the eyes of the Lord are in every place” (Proverbs 15:3), and “nothing in all creation is hidden from his sight” (Hebrews 4:13). And if you happen to be one of the Lord’s seasoned saints, in Isaiah 46:4, God promises, “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you, and I will rescue you.” This verse highlights God’s steadfast care, defense, and faithfulness throughout a person’s entire life.
When God tells us He is with us and will never leave us, we can rest assured He is. By faith, we believe it without having to feel or see it. He’s the one person who is always with us.
Ms. Rita's Minute 