My God is For Me

When God looks down from heaven at you, does he shake his head in disappointment? It’s easy to think that sometimes. If you grew up in a religion of rules and regulations, its easy to feel defeated when you don’t live up. Like a cop pulling out behind us when we’re driving, many of us have a natural fear when we get too close to God, because we’re sure we’re going to get in trouble for something.

Yesterday in our Catfish series, we talked about the myth that God is fed up with me. If you’re honest with yourself, you probably don’t live up to your own standards, so how could you ever imagine living up to God’s standards?

The truth we find from Scripture is the powerful truth that God is for me. If you read the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15, you see God’s heart for us, “But while he was still a long way off, his father [God] saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him” (Luke 15:20)

Romans 8:31-32 says the same thing: “What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” Psalm 23:6 says, “Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

When we realize that God is for us, our relationship with Him completely changes:

1. We don’t hid from God but run to God. Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
2. We don’t live for God’s approval but live from his approval. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
3. We don’t fear what happens to us because we know that God is working in us. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,who have been called according to his purpose.”

To watch the entire message, please click here.