With You – Always
by Ron Scurfield
“Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). These are encouraging words from Jesus to His disciples, just before He ascended to heaven. They must have meant a great deal to them, after all that had happened. But what relevance do they have for us, individually or corporately? We weren’t there.
Can we take any encouragement from them? “My peace I give to you” (John 14:27). Again, Jesus was talking to His disciples. “I have loved you with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3)? This was God speaking to Jeremiah.
There are many more examples of scriptures spoken by Jesus, or God, which seem to be encouraging, yet spoken to other people. Do they really apply to us, or are we taking them out of context?
‘All scripture is God breathed’ (2 Timothy 3:16). This means the Spirit of God is behind the words. The message is intended for more than just the people of the Bible. “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life” (John 6:63). They convey eternal truths of the purposes of God Himself to all who would receive them.
How about those who do not believe, or are sceptical of the words, and the relevance to their lives? They cannot accept that God is speaking to them. If they cannot believe, they cannot receive. Therefore, the words are discarded and have no influence over them. “Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching” (John 14:24).
We have a choice. We can apply the words of God to our lives, accept them, and allow them to sink into our spirit. Or we can reject them as irrelevant and meaningless.
If we take God at His word, and absorb the truth, and receive all that He says, something changes in our understanding of our relationship with God. “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).
When the words are confirmed by the Spirit of God within us, we know they are for us, personally, and we can receive them with confidence.
“I am with you always.” I woke up with these words on my mind the other morning. I didn’t think too much about them, as they are familiar words and I trust their truth. Then God spoke again, directly to me, this time with emphasis on the word ‘you.’ “I am with you always.’’
Suddenly I was awake. Now the message had become personal. The word of God took on a whole new dynamic. This was God, speaking to me.
All God’s words are truth. But when we receive them into our spirit, they become alive.
Let’s develop a hunger for the word of God, and absorb His truth into our lives. It will dramatically change our relationship with Him.
Ron Scurfield with his wife Jill, are part of the Associate Ministry Team at Ellel Grange and occasionally Ellel Scotland. Ron enjoys walking and writing and meeting interesting people, but his greatest joy is seeing God transform lives, setting people free to live the abundant life that Jesus intended.
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