God's Constant Presence

Well, it has started! March Madness is officially upon us. And amazing as it is, there have already been some upsets and some "giants" have fallen. Every year, it seems that a team or two that hasn't been given much of a chance rock the college basketball world by beating a team that probably was too sure of a win.

This year, 2010, it has happened in the first day. A number three ranked team in their bracket was defeated by the number fourteen ranked team. A team that by some was projected to go far in the tournament is now done.

As I thought about this, I realized that there are a lot of Christians, who for whatever reason, believe that they are not significant enough and there is no way they can do anything for the Lord. Had that #14 ranked team thought this, they would be the team going home.

I know that we think that because even people in the Bible struggled with feeling or believing they were less than important. In Judges 6, we find God calling Gideon to save Israel out of the hand of the Midianites. We have a tendency to criticize Gideon for his response, but if we are honest, we probably would say something similar: "But Lord, how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family" (Judges 6:15).

"But God, who am I? I don't have any special gifts or abilities. I am a nobody. I have this problem, that issue, and you can't possibly want to use me!" Sound familiar? Well, maybe you never told God that directly, but you sure have thought it!

Despite Gideon's lack of faith, God's response is short and to the point: "I will be with you..." Judges 6:16). God simply told Gideon, "I am not asking you to do this alone. I am not asking you to come up with a plan and execute it all by your lonesome. I will be with you. I have your back!"

No matter the view you have of yourself, it is important that you remember that God is with you. God has your back! God will empower you for whatever task He calls you to do. John tells us: "You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world" (1 John 4:4).

Hudson Taylor, the great missionary to China for 51 years, said, "All God's giants have been weak men who did great things for God because they reckoned on His being with them."

So what about you? What "GREAT" thing will you do today, simply because you believe that when God says, "I will be with you," He means it?

So, the next time you are feeling less than adequate for the task that God is calling you to do, just remember that you are a child of God, dearly loved, fully equipped for the task at hand.