What does the Bible mean when it tells us that God is with us?  The Bible has many remarkable promises about God’s constant presence with His people.  In the Old Testament God often assured His people that He was with them.  Just before his death, when Moses spoke his final words to Israel on the doorstep of the Promised Land, that promise of God’s presence was reaffirmed: He will not leave you or abandon you.  In the New Testament the writer to the Hebrews quotes that promise when he warns his readers against greed and to be content with what they have because God has said, “I will never leave you or abandon you.”

This Thursday some churches will remember the Ascension of Jesus.  At that moment Jesus assured his disciples, “Remember I am with you always, to the end of the age.”  How could that be since He was leaving them to ascend into heaven?  An old Catechism puts it this way, “In His human nature Christ is not now on earth; but in His Divinity, majesty, grace and Spirit He is not absent from us for a moment.”

For Christians this is a wonderfully comforting reality.  I am never on my own.  He who died for my sins on the cross of Calvary is my constant companion in all the ups and downs of life.

Perhaps you’ve seen that memorable poem ‘Footprints’, written by Margaret Powers.   It has appeared on calendars, wall plaques and cards.  Powers tells of a dream in which she finds herself walking along the beach with the Lord.  She sees two sets of footprints and realises that one set of footprints is the Lord’s, the other set is hers.  But then in some tough moments of her life she sees just one set of footprints and she asks why the Lord left her in those moments.  God’s answer is that He didn’t leave her... at that point He carried her.  That idea comes from the book of Deuteronomy where Moses encourages the people of Israel by reminding them that the Lord has carried them.

So what does it look like that God is with us?  How do we experience the presence of Jesus in our daily life?  Sadly, for many this is not a reality.  As a result they are acutely conscious that they are on their own and in the tough moments there is no one who carries them.  I’ve seen the hopelessness in the eyes of a man who learned he had an inoperable cancer and had, at best, three months to live.  I’ve listened to the panic in the voice of women who thought she was dying.  I’ve heard the stories of people who walked out on their partners because they can’t handle the difficulties that relationships can bring or there was the man who took off when he learned that his wife had been diagnosed with cervical cancer.

The reality is that life is tough... and if it isn’t yet... the day will come when it is.  Permit me to share a couple of instances in my own life when I have been acutely conscious of the Lord’s presence and felt myself carried in His strong arms.

The first instance was when I retired to care for my first wife, a stroke victim.  Being a full-time Carer for a handicapped person can be tough going.  There were moments when I sat on the edge of my bed with my head in my hands wondering how much longer I could do this.  But I experienced the reality of God’s daily presence.  That was a wonderful blessing – especially when she had another stroke that she didn’t survive and I lost my best friend, my partner and my job as a Carer.  God’s wonderful presence at that time enabled me to officiate as the pastor at her funeral.  Afterwards, although acutely conscious that I was now single again, I was never lonely because God’s presence was a comforting reality.  In terms of the Footprints poem, those were moments when I was carried.

A second instance when I was acutely aware of God’s presence and being carried by Him was last year when I ended up in hospital with a heart attack.  Throughout the four days in hospital I had a profound sense of peace.  I knew I was in God’s loving embrace.

I mention all this because too many people have the idea that the Christian faith is really about pie in the sky when we die.  Not so.  It is walking thought life with God as your heavenly Father and in the tough moments being carried by Him.

John Westendorp