Prayer: Lord thank you for this time. Help us to set aside the cares of life and simply be with you and each other for this time. Lord you know our hearts, our fears, our joys, and our deep needs. Thank you for ALWAYS being with us and thank you for your Word. In Jesus name amen.
We are continuing to consider what the Bible says about us never being alone.
Sometimes we feel lonely because we ARE literally alone. There are times and even seasons or at least moments of life when indeed, we walk this “lonesome valley” alone.
But even then we are not really alone for God is with us.
Other times, even though God is with us, loving us and waiting for us to turn to Him for comfort and help in those times of deep need we are unable. Often that is because of our own sin. So first we are going to ponder Psalm 51 for those times. This Psalm was written right after David sinned wth Bathsheba and then had her husband killed. God sent Nathan the prophet to confront him. David ceased denying his guilt and confessed to God. We are omitting some of the verses but you may want to go back and read them later.
Psalm 51:1
ESV Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
NIV Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
KJV Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
Dodi Note: The reason we can TRUST God even when we have done wrong is because He is steadfast and unfailing in his LOVE, His loving KINDNESS toward us. Not only that GOD has abundant mercy and great compassion. His mercy is TENDER and His desire is to BLOT out our sin.
Therefore… can we come to Him when we are feeling unworthy? Do we need to attempt to hide like Adam and Eve did?
No we surely do not.
Let’s look at a few more portions of Psalm 51
Psalm 51: 2-4 & 6, 9-12, 15-17
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!
For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.
Dodi Note: Do you see what happens when we repent? (Agree with God about our wrongdoing and be willing to change?)
First all sin is ultimately against God because it violates the law of love. But God desires to wash us and cleanse us. He does not desire to hide himself from us, reject us or refuse to be around us. He forgives and cleanses us and wants to BE WITH us.
6Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.
Dodi Note: God really does desire truth in all of us and he does teach us wisdom. We learn to look to God first and people second. The wisdom from God is way better than any wisdom of men. 1 Corinthians 1:25
Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
Next the Psalmist makes a plea. A heart cry for restoration of fellowship (awareness of God with him?)
9 Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.
Dodi Note: So be it for each of us. Notice that when we are aware of God’s love, we also have restored JOY.
And then the next verses tell of the result of restored relatonship and fellowship (awareness of God with us because God actually IS ALWAYS with us).
15 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
Dodi Note: Good reminder? If joy is lacking in our lives instead of looking to any person or circumstance to fix it, perhaps we should look to God. Invite Him to search our hearts and show us why we feel separated from Him.
Back to the verses from the little poster I told you about last week.
Joshua 1:5-6 5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them.
Dodi Note: God is confirming and affirming to Joshua that he will NEVER be alone. God will always be with him. God will NEVER leave him.
And that is true today for each of us also. God is always going to be Emmanuel, God With Us. No matter what. If we feel scared, like Joshua did or just abandoned and sad, God is right there with us.
John 14:23 23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
Dodi Note: This seems conditional. But in fact it is really what happens as a result of Salvation. Will we do it perfect? No. But once we invite God into our heart, he dwells there. Forever. And when we sin, we saw in Psalm 51 how to address that. And thinking all the way back to Genesis. When Adam and Eve sinned did God abandon them? No! They hid from God but God came looking for them.
Recently I heard a neat teaching on Genesis. It never said God was looking for them when he said, “Adam, where are you?”. Rather he was giving Adam an invitation to acknowledge God’s presence. God knew exactly where Adam and Eve were as well as why they were hiding from him.
God always knows where we are hiding too and is calling us to draw near to Him and find help in every time of need. As well as every kind of need.
Hebrews 4:15-16 15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-yet he did not sin. 16Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Jeremiah 23:23-24 23 “Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God far away? 24 Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord.
Dodi Note: we covered this already thinking about Adam and Eve. Short answer is no we can NOT ever hide from the LORD, he fills heaven and earth.

Matthew 18:20 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
Dodi Note: This is an often quoted verse about prayer. But it is also about life. Maybe the “two” could be also the Holy Sprit and us when we are “alone” as in apart from other people? Or we can always phone or text a friend too.
Some Baptists I knew (who have since gone home to be wth the Lord) told me about placing an empty chair in their prayer circle to help them remember that Jesus was meeting there with them. Kind of a cute idea.
John 10:27-30 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
Dodi Note:This is another of my most favorite verses.
God KNOWS us, we can follow him. God gives us eternal lfe, we never die, we just change locations. NO ONE can snatch us out of Jesus’ hand. PTL and thank you Jesus.
Psalm 73:23 Nevertheless, I am continually with you;
you hold my right hand.
Dodi Note: Another grand promise.
Exodus 33:14
14 And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
Dodi Note: Rest is interesting. It implies a settled state of calm assurance, or at least it does to me. Sort of like the way a small child feels safe when they can see their mother. If you watch toddlers or preschoolers at a playground you will likely notice something. As they wander off from close to Mom, they will turn to look back to see if she is still there. Sometimes, especially if hurt or frightened, they will run back and lean on her.
They are able to rest/be secure because they KNOW their parent or caregiver is there watching over them.
Even think of God that way? This verse pretty much says that to my heart.
“My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
Exodus 25:8 8 And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst.
Dodi Note: Another verse about God being our safe place and literally dwelling with or being with us.
Isa 57:15 For thus says the One who is high and lifted up,
who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
“I dwell in the high and holy place,
and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly,
and to revive the heart of the contrite.
Dodi Note: Isn’t this a great verse? God is everywhere. In the high and holy places but also, maybe even more in the heart of the ones who are contrte. Sorry/sad for their sn.
Judges 6:12 12 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.”
Dodi Note: The LORD is with you. And he knows where we need encouragement too. He is speaking to Gideon who is actually not feeling brave. And he addresses Gideon as “mighty man of valor or mighty warrior”.
You can read the whole story in Judges 6. It is a cool story.
1John 1:7 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
Dodi Note: Walk in the LIGHT, open, honest and true and then we can have fellowship and be cleanses from sin.
2 Cor. 6:16 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,
“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
Dodi Note: He will be our GOD and we will be his people. And we no longer need to go to a temple. The Holy One dwells with us, within our hearts.
Psalm 91:1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
Dodi Note: All of Psalm 91 is great. Very comforting.
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Psalm 34:18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
and saves the crushed in spirit.
Psalm 145:18 The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
Isa 43:2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
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