{"id":261,"date":"2020-07-07T18:10:30","date_gmt":"2020-07-07T18:10:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/covenantmoravian.com\/index.php\/watchword-reflections\/tuesday-reflection-july-07-2020-god-is-always-by-your-side\/"},"modified":"2026-07-10T13:59:15","modified_gmt":"2026-07-10T13:59:15","slug":"tuesday-reflection-july-07-2020-god-is-always-by-your-side","status":"publish","type":"watchword","link":"https:\/\/covenantmoravian.com\/index.php\/watchword-reflections\/tuesday-reflection-july-07-2020-god-is-always-by-your-side\/","title":{"rendered":"Tuesday Reflection – July 07, 2020 God is Always By Your Side"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Tuesday Reflection – July 07, 2020<\/strong>God is Always By Your Side<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

In my over thirty years of ministry I have met many persons who were banished from a congregation in which they worshipped because of disagreement with those in leadership. I have never felt justified in making any such decision because it is my firm belief that we will have members of our family with whom we do not agree, but we ought to do our very best to live together in harmony with everyone. I grew up with my parents reinforcing in me the idiom, \u2018family stick together no matter what\u2019. For me that has always included church family. Our church has always disciplined members which allows continued care and spiritual nourishment as well as the hope of reinstatement. Here\u2019s something else I always wondered about. If you expel someone from your congregation, they automatically become a member of another congregation so what happens when everyone meets in heaven? Hmm! Today\u2019s watchword is the cry of David, believed to have been written as he was being pursued by King Saul. He was feeling the pangs of being banished from his people and place of worship.\u00a0I had said in my alarm, \u2018I am driven far from your sight.\u2019 But you heard my supplications when I cried out to you for help.<\/em>\u00a0Psalm 31: 22\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

The situation is that David had fallen into Saul\u2019s bad grace because of the king\u2019s jealousy of the younger, more popular warrior. King Saul vowed to kill David and this had set David on the run. Bear in mind that prior to this David had been Saul\u2019s son-in-law and living in the palace. For the next four years David is pursued by Saul and they have close encounters. David could have killed Saul once when Saul went into a cave in which David and his men were sleeping to relieve himself. Instead of hurting Saul, David cut a piece from Saul\u2019s clothes and later showed it to him as proof that he meant him no harm. At another time when Saul had David and his men surrounded, David believed that it was his end and lamented,\u00a0“My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” (Psalm 22:1) Right then and there, a messenger came to Saul to tell him of an attack by the Philistines and Saul had to move out immediately, leaving David.\u00a0(1 Sam 23:26 – 28). When we look at the two statements of David quoted above, both believed to be referring to the same event in his life, we get a glimpse into his mind at the time. Chased by Saul for four years, David was banished from the city where the Ark of the Tabernacle was. He could not go to worship as he was used to doing having been banished by Saul. He felt far away from God\u2019s presence. Yet even in that place of deep spiritual despair, he called out to God, \u2018why have you forsaken me?\u2019 and God heard and came to his rescue. Persons may banish us from the physical temple but not from the spiritual presence of God. We are the only ones who can keep ourselves away from the spiritual temple, away from a good and beneficial relationship with God. As Paul states in Rom 8: 28, nothing can separate us from God\u2019s love.\u00a0\u00a0Friends we learn from David that there will be times when our path to God may seem obscured, whether by what others do or by what we are experiencing. During such times however we should not be afraid to seek God\u2019s presence. David had a sense of being kept away from God, unable to gather for worship, unable to fellowship with his religious family, unable to sacrifice as required. This however did not stop David from stating his case to God, to call out to God for help. It tells us that when we are faced with situations that leave us feeling far away from God, God will still be close to us, providing for us and protecting us. In David\u2019s own words we find security.\u00a0Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me<\/em>. Psalm 23: 4. We also learn that in life we will face many moments of uncertainty. What we ought to realize however is that\u00a0it is never about what we face but who faces it with us.<\/strong>\u00a0Jesus promised the disciples in Matt. 28:20\u00a0I am with you\u00a0always, to the very end of the age.<\/em>\u00a0This presence gives us strength and courage. We can rest easy knowing that regardless of what we face or where we find ourselves, God will be with us. This is what God has promised to all who trust in Him.\u00a0Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.<\/em>\u00a0Isaiah 41:10. Indeed God is always by your side dear friend.\u00a0
Bevon White<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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