I'd like to speak a word of encouragement to someone today Deuteronomy 31:8 says the Lord himself goes before you and will be with you he will never leave you nor forsake you do not be afraid do not be discouraged listen this is God's word to you the Lord himself goes before you he will not leave you he will not forsake you so then why are you afraid why are you discouraged if God is with you who can be against you tell me what can come against you if you read acts 23 Paul was in a
difficult situation he'd been arrested he was the cause of a massive uproar and he was caught in the middle of a dispute between the Pharisees and Sadducees now there's a passage of scripture that I'd like to highlight acts 23: 9-11 then there arose a loud outcry and the scribes of the Pharisees party arose and protested saying we find no evil in this man but if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him let us not fight against God now when there arose a great dissension the commander fearing lest Paul might be pulled to Pieces
by them commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them and bring him into the barracks but the following night the Lord stood by him and said be of good cheer Paul for as you have testified for me in Jerusalem so you must also bear witness at Rome so Paul stands accused he stands in the middle of a very real threat of Danger on his life but verse 11 here says the following night the Lord stood by him now I'm not going to focus on what the Lord said to encourage
Paul but I want you to focus on the fact that the Bible said the Lord stood by him what more do you need in this life than for God to stand by you why should you worry why should you fear or be anxious when you know that God stands beside you isn't it remarkable that just when Paul might have been forgiven for thinking am I doing the right thing when the whole world seems to be against me just when Paul was in the firing line there was God standing beside him God was honoring his word
which says in Deuteronomy 31 ver8 he will never leave you nor forsake you do not be afraid do not be discouraged everything the Lord has for us is contained in these simple words words he will never leave you or forsake you so listen if you're feeling like the weight of the entire world is on your shoulders just remember God is right there beside you if you're feeling low anxious or worried take heart God stands beside you the key thing for us is to believe have faith in the Lord and He will take care of you
everything else sometimes in life God allows us to encounter pain and notice how I say God allows he permits us to face something difficult he allowed Paul to face many hardships as the Bible in 2 Corinthians 11: 25- 26 says three times I was beaten with rods once I was stoned three times I was Shipwrecked once I spent a whole night and a day a drift at Sea I have traveled on many long Journeys I have faced Danger from rivers and from robbers I have faced Danger from my own people the Jews as well as
from the Gentiles I have faced danger in the cities in the deserts and on the Seas and I have faced Danger from men who claim to be Believers but are not now just think about how God allowed Hannah to be Barren Hannah experienced the pain and Desperation of wanting a child but her body failing her think of how God allowed Joseph to experience the pain of betrayal from those who were closest to him so you see often times God will allow us to encounter pain but why well the Bible in Psalm 119 veres 66-77 sheds
light on why God allows us to encounter pain it says teach me knowledge and good judgment for I trust your commands before I was afflicted I went astray but now I obey your word you are good and what you do is good teach me your decrees though the Arrogant have smeared me with lies I keep your precepts with all my heart their hearts are callous and unfeeling but I Delight in your law it was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees the law from your mouth is more precious to
me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold your hands made me and formed me give me understanding to learn your commands may those who fear you rejoice when they see me for I have put my hope in your word I know Lord that your laws are righteous and that in faithfulness you have Afflicted me may your unfailing love be my comfort according to your promise to your servant note how the psalmist says before I was afflicted I went astray but now I obey your word consider this if someone encounters painful circumstances and that pain
causes them to seek God like never before to pray with intensity and fervency if those painful circumstances bring them closer to God then is that not a good work being performed in their lives I mean think about it if if you never go through anything how will you learn how to pray how will you learn how to trust and rely on God listen whether we like it or not afflictions bring us closer to God as believers they make us cling ever so tightly to his word and his promises and when God brings you through that
trial your faith will most certainly ly be stronger so dear listener since we cannot stop pain from entering Our Lives let's pray that God will help us to use those painful moments to press in closer to him to trust and rely on him to lean into him to know him in a greater way to learn a different side of God that we would not have known without the pain Lord thank you for caring for us thank you for promising never to leave us or forsake us someone may be listening right now and they feel forgotten
they're downtrodden and tired from the battles they faced Lord Jesus I pray that you make your presence known to anyone who is on the verge of giving up remind them that you are still by their side May the Holy Spirit remind the person who's weak and weary that there is strength in Jesus Christ May the Holy Spirit remind the person who is feeling like an outcast may they be reminded that Jesus Christ loves them just the way they are and he welcomes you into his arms may your presence go before us King Jesus may it
surround us and cover us with you on our side we fear nothing we're not discouraged by what's going on in the economy or what's happening in the world our eyes are on you a God who will strengthen us rescue us help and Deliver Us in times of trouble as your children we firmly believe that you are able to do exceedingly above anything we could imagine or think Lord we would never be put to shame when our trust is in you I declare Hebrews 13:6 so we may boldly say the Lord is my helper I will
not fear what can man do to me you Lord Jesus are our helper the only one who can uphold each of us with your righteous right hand whatever we need we trust you to supply it you keep us secure Lord you are the answer to every Challenge and difficulty in this life we praise you for always being there for us looking out for us loving and protecting us we praise you because you are a God who heals restores and makes me whole again we praise you because you are a God who has saved us from
destruction and shown us loving kindness and Tender Mercies I will bless your holy name as long as I live I will lift up my hands and praise Only You Lord Jesus Holy Spirit help me to have a heart filled with praise so that when things are good I will bless the Lord with all my soul and all that is within me I will praise His holy name and when life is challenging or difficult I will still bless the Lord with all my soul and all that is within me I will praise His holy name I
Praise You Lord Jesus because you are the one who can quench my thirsty Soul you are the one who Faithfully loves me and you alone are the one who can make me feel new and refreshed again it's in your presence that I'm made whole I praise you because of your abundant and unfailing Mercies for as long as I'm alive I will lift up my heart my voice and my hands to worship you I give you praise for your faithfulness I thank you for listening to this prayer in the mighty name of Jesus Christ we pray
amen the Lord himself goes before you and will be with you he will never leave you nor forsake you do not do not be afraid do not be [Music] discouraged teach me knowledge and good judgment for I trust your commands before I was afflicted I went astray but now I obey your word you are good and what you do is good teach me your decrees though the Arrogant have smeared me with lies I keep your precepts with all my heart their hearts are callous and unfeeling but I Delight in your law it was good for
me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees the law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold your hands made me and formed me give me understanding to learn your commands may those who fear you rejoice when they see me for I have put my hope in your word I know Lord that your laws are righteous and that in faithfulness you have Afflicted me may your unfailing love be my comfort according to your promise to your servant [Music] [Music]
