Rev. Dr. I. David Byrd. May 2019
Recognizing He’s With You
In the book, “Where Is God When I Hurt?” Wilson Adams tells the story of an older couple driving along when the wife spots a newly married couple in the vehicle ahead. She exclaims, “Look at them, Harold! Would you just look at them?” She continues, “She’s all scrunched up next to him with her head on his shoulder…” She sighs, “Harold, do you remember when we used to do that? I would sit next to you with my head on your shoulder…” She sighs again. “Look at us, Harold. Just look at us! You’re way over there under the steering wheel and I’m way over here next to the door. What happened to us, Harold?” She sighs even more. Harold was a man of few words. Ten miles later, he cleared his throat and said, “I never moved.” The same is true in our relationship with the savior. God is as near to us as He has always been. It is us that from time to time lose faith and move away from Him. He has promised to never leave us but like the father in Mark 9:24 we cry out “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.” In other words, we never reach self-sufficiency. Growing in faith is a constant daily renewing of our trust in Him.
To forsake another person is to leave them entirely, usually in a moment of need. I’m glad our savior has promised to never leave us or forsake us. Over 100 times in the Bible we are told God will never leave us nor forsake us. To repeat it so many times and in so many different ways, He must have known we would struggle with this concept. Scholars call it parallelism, which means to restate something several different ways for emphasis. We assume if we struggle, He must not be with us. When we narrow our focus so all we can see are the challenges along the way and the things that are going wrong, it will keep us from understanding that God is compassionate, loving and faithful to bring forth His promises to us. The lyricist says, “He is moving in your life even when you can’t see it. Maybe you just haven’t seen it yet”.
Trusting He’s With You
The Book of Acts teaches that He sent a comforter to be with us, to encourage us when we’re weak, to guide us and to help us see right from wrong. In this, we can be confident. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble.”(Psalms 46:1)
I am reminded of an invitation to golf at a swank Country Club in Boca. As I was parking, the car a caddie came to the car and introduced himself as Josh. Josh took my clubs and directed me to the locker room to change. After changing my shoes and a little stretching, I headed to the driving range. Josh was waiting for me there with my clubs set up. As I worked my clubs from wedges to the driver, Josh watched closely, sometimes asking me how I thought I hit a certain club and then making notes on a card. When it was time to go to the first tee Josh told me to enjoy myself he would be carrying my clubs. Now, this is important because, on the regular courses where I golf, folks carry their own clubs or put them on an electric cart. We make decisions based on our own beliefs, thoughts, and desires. We don’t have someone guiding us. In other words, the caddie knew the course and he had an understanding of my strengths and weaknesses. He knew how far I could hit various clubs. He knew the blind spots on the course and he knew how to read the greens and advise me. When I arrived at the first tee, Josh was there waiting for me. From my car to the first tee, he was developing a relationship with me. All I had to do was to make the decision to trust Josh with my total game.
On a par 5, I had hit a beautiful drive down the middle of the fairway. I asked for my 3-wood for the next shot over the water. Josh said, “You can’t get over, there’s wind down there. Lay up with your 5 iron”. I was going to show him, I was feeling good and swinging well. I could handle the challenge before me. I appreciated his advice but he didn’t really know me. I struck the 3-wood perfectly; the ball starting out low and rose like a plane takes off. As I posed in my finish position waiting for the ball to land in the fairway on the other side of the water – splash! The wind had held it up just as Josh had explained. He winked at me and told me not to worry; he would still guide me for the rest of the round. See Josh knew the dangers in front of me and he knew my swing. After that, I listened to Josh’s instructions for the rest of the round and played one of my best rounds of the year. I was able to accomplish this because Josh was carrying my heavy bag, giving me instructions, warning me of upcoming danger, advising me of my best option given my skill level and the situation. However, I had the free will to follow his lead or not.
It is the same in your relationship with the Holy Spirit. The Father has sent the Holy Spirit who is standing on the tee box waiting for you to accept Him as your life caddie. Before each shot or decision, talk it over and strategize with Him. Just like golf, life is better when we don’t play it alone. Jesus unconditionally loves you and wants to guide you around the course of life. He has provided us a yardage book, the Bible, which identifies the pitfalls of our course. It instructs us on how to prepare and how to identify for the challenges of life.
Unlike the caddie, Jesus can forgive your bad shots and wipe them off your scorecard. He wants you to reach out to Him in good times and in bad times. In the words of Ken Blanchard, “ you have a chance to have the ultimate Mulligan in your life. Someone who will forgive you for your bad shots, someone who will forgive you for your transgressions, and someone who will stand beside you and never leave you”. He promised in Matthew 28:20, “ . . . and be sure of this: I am with you always, even until the end of the age”. Always literally means all day. The Holy Spirit will never leave you. He has set you on a journey. He has a plan for your destiny. Yet, you have the free will to follow his lead or not.
Last month we celebrated His power over death. This month we celebrate His power in our lives. Now that you understand His presence in your life, you can join Smokie Norful in praising Him for never leaving you nor forsaking you:
My prayer for each of you is that you will make the pivotal choice to tee it up with God and seek to play His course. That you will embrace the plan God has for your life. He will never leave you nor forsake you.
Dear Heavenly Father,
We thank you for dying on the cross for our sins; yet, we thank you even more for defeating death. Help us to always remember that you are always with us. You sent the Holy Spirit to comfort and guide us. Very much is promised to our believing. The enemy desires to deceive or destroy our belief. However, your Word teaches us that faith and belief prove to the mind, the reality of things that cannot be seen by the eye. Help us to always consult you before our every decision. You are a good God, and you only have what’s best for us.
In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
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