God Is Always There
(Faith)
Psalm 139:7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
[8] If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
God is everywhere!
Wherever we are, whatever our situation, God is there.
When we’re rejoicing in His presence, he is there.
When we’re in the hospital or at home, he is there.
When the sun is shining or when it’s raining, God is there.
God never changes. He said, I am God and I change not.
He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
He never takes his eyes off of us. He never leaves us alone. He never forsakes us. He constantly takes care of us.
For He said, I will never leave you, nor will I forsake you but I’ll be with you always even unto the end of the world.
God is literally everywhere. He fills all space and time.
Even though God is omnipresent, he is every where; he has chosen to manifest himself in a personal way to us.
Psalm 113:5 says that God “dwelleth on high.”
Joel 3:21 says that He “dwelleth in Zion.”
But now, with the outpouring of the Holy Ghost, He dwells in our hearts, and not just in our hearts but in the hearts of every believer everywhere.
Men may try to place God in certain limited locations. They may try to restrict His movements.
But the Lord God knows no boundaries. Nothing can stop him from moving.
He is unlimited by space and time.
Solomon wisely questioned, “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?” (1 Kings 8:27)
The question has been asked, “Where does God dwell and where does He meet with His people?”
Adam and Eve “heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day. (Genesis 3:8)
The Lord spoke to Abram in his home country. He spoke to Jacob at Bethel. He spoke to Joseph in dreams. He spoke to Moses through a burning bush.
He spoke to Saul on the road to Damascus, and He spoke to John on the Isle of Patmos.
The Lord spoke to Elijah in a still small voice and He spoke to Isaiah in a magnificent vision.
And the Bible says in Hebrews 1:2 that in these last days that God hath spoken unto us by his Son.
But the greatest revelation of the presence of God to mankind is yet to come in eternity.
1 Corinthians 13:12 says, “For now we see through a glass darkly.”
For now we can gain God’s attention by having a contrite spirit, and by obeying His Word. (Isaiah 66:2)
We can invite the presence of the Lord into our hearts by praising and adoring our King. (Psalm 22:3)
But the day will come when we shall see our Savior face to face!
It is so awesome to know that God came to this world as a man!
The Word was made flesh and blood. (John 1:14)
The King of Glory became as one of us and walked among us as a man. (Hebrews 2:14-17)
Jesus Christ was God’s temple while He was on this earth.
The Jews heard the Jesus correctly when He said, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. (John 2:19)
But they did not understand His message. He was not referring to a destruction of Herod’s house.
He was talking about the death and resurrection of his own body; the place where God dwelt in radiant fullness.
Ezekiel 48:30 And these are the goings out of the city on the north side, four thousand and five hundred measures.
[31] And the gates of the city shall be after the names of the tribes of Israel: three gates northward; one gate of Reuben, one gate of Judah, one gate of Levi.
[32] And at the east side four thousand and five hundred: and three gates; and one gate of Joseph, one gate of Benjamin, one gate of Dan.
[33] And at the south side four thousand and five hundred measures: and three gates; one gate of Simeon, one gate of Issachar, one gate of Zebulun.
[34] At the west side four thousand and five hundred, with their three gates; one gate of Gad, one gate of Asher, one gate of Naphtali.
[35] It was round about eighteen thousand measures: and the name of the city from that day shall be, The Lord is there.
It was in this book of Ezekiel that the prophet saw a vision of the city of God.
This is the same city that John the revelator describes in Revelation 21.
It must surely be the city of Psalm 46:4 and the same city for which Abraham looked. (Hebrews 11:10)
The prophet wrote in Ezekiel 48:35 It was round about eighteen thousand measures: and the name of the city from that day shall be, “The Lord is there.”
What a promise! The Lord is there.
And that’s the promise that we have tonight. That no matte what we go through. No matter what difficult things we experience in our lives.
God is there.
Nobody can satisfy the longing of our hearts but Jesus.
Nobody can heal the hurt in our hearts but Jesus.
Nobody can deliver us but Jesus.
Nobody can bring us out of whatever is holding us but Jesus.
You may not be able to help yourself, but God is there.
He’ll pick you up. He’ll encourage you. He’ll bring you out.
The presence of God is the most valuable commodity that we have today.
Why? Because in his presence there is fullness of joy.
God doesn’t just want us to experience joy, but He wants us to know joy and to know it in its fullness.
Jesus came to bring us joy in its fullness.
He is said in John 15:11 “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.”
Many times the church is misunderstood.
The question has been asked, “Why do folks get so excited about worshiping God?”
Why do people sing hymns of worship with a smile on their face?
Why do people shout and dance in praise unto God?
Why is the atmosphere charged with the very presence of the Almighty?
The worship and the singing do not testify of anybody’s goodness or ability.
But the church is made up of ordinary people who have an unusual appreciation for God and His mercy.
The church is made up of ordinary people who have had their fair share of problems and struggles.
They’re not perfect, they make mistakes, but they still lift up their hands and raise their voices and rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.
Why? Because we’re thankful for everything that God has brought us out of and everything that God is doing and everything that God is going to do in our lives.
That’s why we praise Him. That’s why we get excited and worship God.
It’s because of where He’s brought us from and where He’s taking us.
In God’s presence there are pleasures for evermore.
The psalmist realized something about God and that is that the right hand of God was a place of honor and dignity, of power and authority.
The trials that he faced may have weighed heavily upon his life and his spirit, but he had a magnificent expectation for the future.
The favor of God would be worth every difficulty that he was facing at the present time.
Psalm 16:11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
God does not take us around all our afflictions so that we can avoid discomfort but He did tell us that he would go with us.
Isaiah 43:2 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.
If you are passing through the waters, God is with you!
If you are walking through the fire, God is there!
No matter where you go or what you go through God always goes with you.
Deuteronomy 31:6 says, “Be strong and of a good courage … for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee.”
God has given us a promise and that promise is worth more than anything that this world has to offer.
Jesus promised that he will fill us with his spirit and dwell with us.
It doesn’t matter if it’s with a small group or a large group.
Jesus is just as much at home with few as He is with many.
He seems not to be influenced by numbers.
He said in Matthew 18:20, for where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
It is so good to know that God moves on the thousands, sweeping over them in waves of blessings, but it is equally thrilling to know that He also meets us as individuals.
God is a personal God!
Whatever you need. Whatever you face. Whatever is on your mind. God is there!
You can’t get in a bind that God can not get you out of.
You can’t get in a mess that God can not deliver you from.
I’ll say it again. I don’t care where you are. I don’t care what you’re going through. You can hold your head up, and know that God is there.
He’s going to help you. He’s going to strengthen you. He’s going to encourage you.
One common trait of everybody who has ever received anything from God is that they wanted it. They were thirsty for it.
No wonder the Bible says, blessed is they who hunger and thirst after the righteousness of God, for they shall be filled.
Everybody who wanted the blessing; who hungered for it; who thirsted after it; got it!
They long for God’s presence.
They yearn for the living waters.
The psalmist David said in 42:1 As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.
If you’re seeking for it; if you’re hungry for it; if you’re thirsty for it; you’re going to get it.
God is going satisfy your hunger. God is going to satisfy your thirst.
Thank God for salvation!
Salvation is more than just a formality or a ritual.
If we have repented and been buried in Jesus name in water baptism, we can expect to receive the Holy Ghost.
Which Colossians 1:27 says, “is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
When you receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost you are receiving more than a blessing.
It’s more than somebody feeling that their sins are forgiven and it’s more than receiving a vision from an angel. (see Acts 10:3)
Miracles are not the evidence that folks have received the Holy Ghost.
An abundance of joy is not the evidence that folks have received the Holy Ghost.
The Samaritans had experienced both of these before Peter and John came down from Jerusalem. (see acts 8:6, 8)
But it was not until the two apostles laid their hands on them, that the Samaritans received the Spirit.
We need to base our beliefs on sound biblical truth.
Jesus said in John 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
[39] (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
We must believe according to the Scriptures!
Apostolic power is still available to those who will act in faith. God is still pouring out His Spirit.
The promise that Jesus gave, “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” was not just for those of the first century.
God wants to fill us with joy. The Holy Ghost is joy unspeakable and full of glory.
Conclusion:
The angel at the garden tomb declared of Jesus Christ, “He is not here: for he is risen”. (Matthew 28:6)
He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. Mark 12:27
That’s why we must praise Him, because He inhabits or dwells in the praises of His people.
He lives in the midst of believers whose hearts are vibrant with praise and thanksgiving.
We will discover that as we seek God with all of our hearts, that no matter what we go through, He is there.
He is “Jehova-shammah”, the Lord is there.
And as I close tonight, if you need Him, He is there.
If you need forgivness, God is there. If you need deliverance, God is there. If you need strength, God is there. If you need encouragement, God is there.
Whatever you need God is there.
