When I was with Andy it seemed that nothing could get me down.
Deuteronomy 20:1-20
Reference: v.4 "For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory." (NIV Bible)
Explore: As a teenager I was well aware of my insignificance. Looking back I realise that it wasn't that I was bullied or teased during high school, it was just that I was totally ignored. I wasn't funny, I wasn't trendy, I wasn't good looking, I wasn't popular; and so I just slipped under the radar for most people. During this time I lived in fear of being left out and I would hang off every moment when someone would actually notice me. That's why I couldn't believe it when I became friends with Andy. He was everything I was not: funny, trendy, good looking, popular and yet he became my friend. When I was with Andy it seemed that nothing could get me down. He always made me feel better about myself and reminded me that I was not a nobody. Whenever we hung out I always had so much fun; when I went to boarding school and got homesick his phone calls would always cheer me up; and when I dragged him along to social functions I would have extra confidence knowing Andy was by my side. With Andy I had nothing to fear.
Application: That is what it's like when we go out knowing that God is by our side. My friend Andy is pretty good but now that I know that I have the Creator of the Universe by my side, surely that should give me a little more security (no offense to Andy!) If we believe in God, if we know that He loves us so much that He sacrificed His Son for us, if we acknowledge that He is still with us each and every day… we have nothing to fear. Yes, troubles will still come our way, life will still present it's challenges and pain will still exist, but we shall not fear because God is with us. There is no one better to have by our side.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for friends who can love us and support us. But Lord thank you even more for keeping Your promise to us that You will never leave us. May we go in to this day with the confidence that You are by our side. Amen.
Do you acknowledge that God is with you in every aspect of your life?
This article was written by Linda Bailey
Linda started theological studies in 1999 in Australia. After working for ten years in various church ministries, she now works as the breakfast producer at 89.9 LightFM - the Christian radio station in Melbourne, Australia. She writes blogs every day about passages she is currently reading in the Bible. Follow her on Google Plus +Linda Bailey or Facebook by clicking the like button on the right of this page.