“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1 (NIV)

On the 1^st of January 1790, John Wesley wrote, “I am now an old man, decayed from head to foot. My eyes are dim; my right hand shakes much; my mouth is hot and dry every morning. I have a lingering fever almost every day; my motion is weak and slow. However, blessed be God. I can preach and write still.” Eighteen months later and after fifty years of diligent ministry, Wesley was close to death when he exclaimed, “The best of all is God is with us.”

What a wonderful thought. In every second of every minute God is with us. In every minute of every hour He never leaves us. In every hour of every day God won’t forsake us. And in every day of every year God is before us. Deuteronomy 31:8 confirms this reality saying, “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Praise the Lord! God’s with us today and He’s with us tomorrow. We can’t go anywhere without Him. He never fails us nor abandons us. His daily companionship, care, and counsel is available to everyone called by His name. He is and will be our all in all. He shows us the way ahead. He carries ultimate responsibility. He is our strength. He is our refuge in times of trouble. He is “an ever present help” Psalm 46:1. And He gives us courage to endure, wisdom to make the right decisions, patience under duress, unfathomable joy, extraordinary love, and grace to deal with the vicissitudes of life.

What an awesome God! There’s nothing formidable to Him. There’s nothing that He fears. There’s no one who can put limits on Him. And there’s no government, power or agency, in this world or beyond this world, that can thwart His plans. So keep looking up. Forge ahead. Be confident in Him. “Commit your way to the Lord; trust him . . .” Psalm 37:5. “Delight yourself in the Lord” Psalm 37:4. Offer your “bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God” Romans 12:1. Be strong and courageous (cf. Joshua 1:9). And “Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God” M. I. Haskins.

For “the one who calls you is faithful” 1 Thessalonians 5:24. Whether you face seemingly insurmountable difficulties, the heaviest of trials, the deepest of poverty, or the failure of your faculties, God will never fail you. He can be counted on. He will stand by you. He will stick closer than a brother (cf. Proverbs 18:24). He will keep you as the apple of His eye (cf. Psalm 17:8). He will keep you in all your ways (cf. Psalm 91:11). He will keep you as a shepherd cares for His flock of sheep (cf. Jeremiah 31:10). He will keep you in perfect peace (cf. Isaiah 26:3). He will keep you from the hour of temptation (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:13). And He will keep you from falling (cf. Jude :24). Yes, “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” Philippians 1:6.