Pondering the Prepositions: Before and Behind

by David Chadwick

Jesus Christ, the hope of glory, is IN you. He is also WITH you. While God is a very present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1), he is also omnipresent, meaning his very nature and character is everywhere. He is eternal and exists outside of time. Because of this, he goes before us and behind us.

Our next prepositions to ponder are “before” and “behind.”

Jesus Christ goes before you every single day. Deuteronomy 31:8 says, “It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

He fights our battles for us (Exodus 14:14). This means that before we ever arrive on the scene of a battle, God has already confronted our enemies and has defeated them.

The God of all creation knows our tomorrows, the weeks ahead, the years to come, and the time he will call us home. This is the blessed assurance about which the old hymn speaks and it should prompt us to praise our Savior forevermore!

God is also behind us. He knows the enemy, the devil, loves to catch us off guard. To attack when we aren’t looking. To blindside us when we aren’t expecting it. But God is behind us. God is our blindside! He protects us from the things we can’t see. Lions always attack the stragglers in the herd of the wildebeests.

The assurance of our salvation and of God’s omnipresence should prompt us to fully yield and fully surrender to his plan!

When you pray, pray with confidence. Pray with assurance. Pray with conviction. You are partnering with heaven to see God’s kingdom come to earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10).

God has already gone before you. He has cleared the path and made a way where there was no way. He is always working even when we cannot see it. He is behind you, overseeing you against all the enemy’s wiles to attack when you least expect it.

The God of the universe is also a deeply personal God. He is both all powerful and all personal!

Pondering the Prepositions: In and With

by David Chadwick

Every good English teacher knows and teaches the importance of prepositions. Do you remember learning them as a child? They are the connecting words that describe the relationship between a noun or pronoun and the other words in a sentence.

Over the next week, I want us to ponder five-plus prepositions that will strengthen how we pray and also ponder Jesus’s love for us.

Today’s prepositions are the words “in” and “with.”

John 15:7 says, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” Friends, as we abide in Jesus and his Word abides in us, we can ask him anything. Peace in the midst of a storm. Hope in the midst of despair. Courage in the midst of fire. If you are a Christian, Jesus Christ is in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27).

Not only is he in you, he is also with you. In Matthew 28:20, Jesus says that he will be with us always, to the end of the age.

As you face today, remember that the Lord of the universe is in you and with you. His power is your power. His strength is your strength. His presence is your protection. He stands in you and with you no matter what you face.

Whether there is a Goliath you are facing, a mountain (Mark 11:22-25), or a mulberry bush that needs to be uprooted and thrown into the heart of the sea (Luke 17:5-6), all you need is a mustard seed of faith. Plant that seed of faith in your heart and watch it grow. Jesus lives IN you and is WITH you. This truth should strengthen your prayer life and prompt you to pray with confidence and assurance.

Because of Jesus, and the truth of these simple words of “in” and “with” you, you have all the power and authority you will ever need to face anything and everything!

The Place of Works: Created for Good Works

by David Chadwick

Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Pause for a moment and think about this. BEFORE the world was ever created, God had a design with you in mind. What an amazing thought!

This truth comes after Ephesians 2:8-9, which says that it is by grace we have saved, not a result of works. Paul goes on to say that each of us who has received the gift of eternal life by grace through faith is seen as God’s trophy! You are his child. He looks at you as his pride and joy. He has placed on you his celestial mantle to be lovingly gazed upon by him at regular intervals.

According to Paul, God has certain works that are uniquely assigned to us. Think about that throughout your day. That truth should really make you feel special. Now, think of how that can be lived out in your family, with your friends, in your neighborhood, in your city, and throughout the world.

You live where you live by God’s sovereign design. There are certain tasks that God has designed for you to accomplish in your unique location for the glory of God.

Here is one final thought: these works God has designed solely for you to do were chosen by God for you to do in eternity, not just before the world was ever created, but before you were even created. You are so special to the Lord. He loves you so much.

Pray. Seek the Lord. Ask him for greater insight into who you are and how he has made you. As my father used to say, “Son, what do you love to do? And what does the world need most? At the intersection of those two things lies your calling.”

I pray that each one of you will recognize what God has called you to and walk in it!