COMFORT IN TRIALS
God with Us Becoming Our Salvation
Isaiah 41:10 Do not be afraid, for I am with you; Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; surely I will help you; Surely I will uphold you with the right hand of My righteousness.
God Being the God of Emmanuel
The first chapter of Matthew says that His name shall be called Emmanuel, God with us. In the middle of the book (18:20), He says that He will always be in our midst. Then at the end, He says that He will be with us forever. “And lo, I am with you all the days, even unto the completion of the age” (Matt. 28:20, Gk.). He is not only with us today, but all the days. He is with us until the completion of this age. But even the completion of this age is not the completion of His presence. He is with us now in this way. In the next age He will be with us in another wonderful way. His being with us could never be terminated. Hallelujah! This is because He is Emmanuel, God with us. (CWWL, 1973-1974, vol. 2,“The Wonderful Christ in the Canon of the New Testament,” ch. 1)
God with Us Becoming Our Salvation
When we experience Jesus, He is Emmanuel, God with us. We have heard that Jesus is our comfort, our rest, our peace, and our life. Jesus is so much to us. If we would experience Him, we would immediately say, “This is God! This is not God far away from me, or God in the heavens, but God with me.” Whenever we experience Jesus in a certain way, we realize that Jesus is God with us. Jesus is our salvation. After we experience this salvation, we say, “This is God with us to be our salvation.” Hallelujah, Jesus is God with us! In our experience, He is Emmanuel. (Life-study of Matthew, Msg. 6)
Needing Living Faith in the Practical Lord Jesus
All of the kingdom people must realize that the Lord Jesus is very practical. He knows when we are hungry and when we are in need. He also knows when we are facing a storm. On the one hand He is praying for us on the mountain, and on the other hand He comes to be with us on the sea. He is the very Jehovah-plus and God-plus. “Behold, I am with you all the days until the consummation of the age” (Matt. 28:20). We need living faith in the practical Lord Jesus. Never forget that genuine faith is simply to realize what the Lord Jesus is. He is real and He is practical. If we truly believe that He is practical, we will be at peace whenever we have a need. While we are seeking His kingdom, our daily needs will be supplied as something additional. Our way is always secure. However, it may not be secure according to outward situations or circumstances. Outwardly speaking, we may be in danger. We may be in a storm or on a raging sea, but actually we are very safe. The Lord Jesus is safer than a little boat, and He is even more secure than a peaceful sea. All the storms are under His feet. As we look back on the past years, we can surely testify that He is faithful. (CWWL, 1972, vol. 2, “The Kingdom,” Ch. 25)
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, praise You that You are the God of Emmanuel, being with me all the days, even unto the completion of the age. Oh Lord, uphold me, strengthen me, be with me in all my circumstances. Your presence is my peace and joy. Oh Lord, I am in You. Day by day increase my faith toward You, regardless of the environment, only enjoy Your peace.