God Is Always With Us

But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. John16:7

It had to be a strange thing for the disciples of Jesus. It must have made no sense to them. How could it be possible that it would be an advantage for Jesus to leave them? They had spent years listening to His teachings, sharing meals, laughs, and experiences. They watched Him do Miracles. The idea of Him leaving them must have felt devastating.

But when you read the Bible book of Acts you can understand what Jesus was telling them. They would not only have His presence within them by the indwelling Holy Spirit, they would be like Jesus. They would do miracles, carry His teachings forward, and lead multitudes into the Kingdom of God with the power of the Holy Spirit that resided not beside them, not nearby, but within them.

Years ago when my anxiety was running rampant and panic attacks were devastating me I heard a preacher say that: “We need to become Christ Conscious.” He was saying we needed to get a revelation of the very presence of Christ dwelling within us. We not only need to mentally assent to the fact of God’s presence with us when we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, we need to have our very being saturated with the fact that we have a God who always abides within His children.

Getting that revelation of the presence of God within truly helped me with my anxiety and panic attacks. Knowing that the Holy Spirit brought the reality of God within me not just on Sunday, not just when I was feeling joyous, but especially during very tough times–it reshaped my thinking.

Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. Luke 17:21

Christians have endured hardship, persecutions, and even torture due to the fact they knew God was in the midst of it with them.

I recently was reading the book of Acts and got the point where Stephen was about to be stoned to death by a crowd of unbelievers. God revealed Himself visibly to Stephen just as the stones were about to fly. Like Jesus, Stephen asked God not to hold his death against them. The same compassion Jesus had on the cross was found in Stephen who we are told was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Every believer has the Holy Spirit within them, and with Him come both the Father and the Son for they are One. So every believer does indeed have the Kingdom of God within them for where God is–His Kingdom follows.

How would it shape your life if you truly got a revelation of God’s Presence with you always? What power and strength, joy and hope, courage and faith would you exhibit knowing the All Powerful Maker of Heaven and Earth dwells inside of you?

We can endure anything, overcome anything, accomplish just about anything as we allow Jesus to be Jesus within us. That He is inside of every believer is not up for debate. Whether or not we live in and with that truth is up to us.

Prayer: Dear Lord, ignite the revelation of the truth that You live inside the heart of every believer. Then help us to live out that truth in our lives. Amen.