He Goes Before You

“And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.” (Deuteronomy 31:8)

Good day, my friend…

Today seems to be a day of simple, honest encouragement. Let’s all agree – everybody is feeling the stress right now. Whether it’s financial pressure, family issues, health issues, or political unrest, it seems everybody is on edge. Having said that, it is my duty to encourage you through the Word of God. I have already been told I should talk more about sin, really press in on how rotten we all are, etc, etc, but I don’t have to tell someone who is under conviction by the Holy Spirit how evil they are. They already know that – they are looking for answers. Long ago when I first entered the ministry I learned that my calling is to help those who are lost find their way, to comfort those who are hurting, to heal those who are sick, to set free those who are held captive by the devil. That is my mission and I will continue to do it as long as I have breath.

I have repeatedly talked about how God walks with us through the dark times. Just as a personal testimony, I can tell you He has been with me on the streets of Chicago living as a homeless person (in training for undercover work), He has protected me in crack houses (making drug buys for later convictions), He has been with me through boot camp in the Army, He has been with me in armed conflicts all over the globe (when my wife was told I was on a training mission here in the States), He went with me to prison, and has protected me from several attempts on my life since I came home. God is with me always – walking either in front of me to show me the way, or beside me as I faced brain surgery (back in 2000).I have found Jesus to be truly a friend that sticks closer than a brother. But don’t get it tangled in your mind, He has also been with me in Washington D.C. as I received a literary award from the hand of Bob Hope, He has seen me through several of the greatest honors that can be bestowed upon any human, He has seen me through great victories.

And I can tell you from my honest heart, it is harder to acknowledge Him when times are good, when everything is going swimmingly, when the spotlight is (literally and figuratively) on you and the crowd is cheering. That’s why the Bible references giving God the glory in the good times, stating that if you can do that you can do it in the hard times, too. I can so relate to Paul when he gives his testimony in Philippians 3:5-6 where he lists some of his achievements and honors. But he goes on to say that whatever good he had achieved and any accolades he gathered, he counted them as dung in comparison to the glory of knowing Jesus Christ. Amen, brother Paul, amen. I can hardly wait to get to heaven and meet both Elijah and Paul! Of course, I want to meet Jesus face-to-face, but these two others have spoken directly to my spirit as well.

In today’s verse we read that God – the very God of heaven, the Creator of all things (including myself), the King of glory, the Bright and Morning Star – goes before us. Not only will He be so far ahead of us we can only follow, but He will be with me – right beside me. He will not fail me (like so many friends have done in the past), neither will he forsake me (again, enough said). Because of that I can walk through this veil of tears without fear – for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. God, who is speaking in this verse, commands us – I want you to get that – He COMMANDS us to fear not. Fear is putting our faith in what is opposing us and God’s plan for our lives. Fear is putting all the controls into the hands of our enemy. It is giving him glory as being greater, stronger, bigger than God. Fear closes the door to faith and we become despondent, we give up – thinking there is nothing we can do. WRONG!

We turn to the One Who paid the price for us, Who died that we might have life. We run into the throneroom of God where we find grace, mercy, and strength for the battle. In His presence we are reminded that “IT IS FINISHED” and the victory is already assured through the blood of Christ. It is in His presence we are equipped to go back out and stand boldly against the tide of evil, to proclaim the Word of God over our situations, and to look ahead in faith to the spoils of war that are ours.

I don’t know who needed to hear this message today, but I pray you are able to get alone with God – even if it is in the saddle of a Harley, your car, your home, sitting by the river, or just on your balcony. Get alone with God even for a few moments – away from the phone, the computer, the TV, and everything else. Tell Him what is going on (He already knows anyway, but He wants you to need Him and acknowledge that you need Him). Lay it all out at His feet and let Him come alongside you today. Let Him speak into your spirit words of hope and peace. Do it now while you still can. I know He will rush to your aid and give you grace in your time of need.

Be blessed.