PASTOR’S CORNER: God’s got your back

Now community, everybody wants somebody to have their back; somebody who they trust to look out for them when the worst comes, who has their wellbeing in mind, who truly loves them; who makes sure that nothing creeps up on them unaware. And if it comes to a showdown, they have someone standing with them.

It is a reassurance that there is somebody on our side who loves us and will be there when we need them because man was not made by God to be alone. There is a desire within all of us for trusted companionship and somebody to stand in alliance with us. There is a desire for that one person who no matter what, when the chips are down we can count on them to look out for us and throw their arms around us to stand with us.

We are living in a world where Satan has infiltrated the minds of so many people — where people will hurt, betray, stab you in the back, cross their heart and hope to die — but then will turn right around and tell you a lie.

When folk’s word don’t mean anything anymore, it is so hard to find somebody that you can trust. I hear often, and so have some of you, of people who have been hurt and done in by people that they thought were their friend or a family member.

Even within the realm of Christianity and the church, if you have been in the faith for a length of time, you know that time will reveal church folk. Those who act spiritually will prove by their actions to not be what they claim to be sometimes.

Friends, it is so hard to find realness, genuineness and authenticity even among those who profess to be saved by grace. Thank God there are some who talk the talk and walk the walk. There are some who, though they are not perfect, try to be men and women of their word, who prove to be a friend indeed.

But when we have been burned in relationships it can leave some scars. That’s why some people have trust issues. When somebody says to them, “I’m going to be there to support you” or “I love you” it’s hard for them to receive that. When someone of the opposite sex approaches them about beginning a relationship they are reluctant to start a relationship.

It is especially bad when you have been burned, hurt and scarred by those within the local church. As pastor I sometimes run into people who have been hurt in the church, the one place where the love of Christ should be shed abroad.

I wonder how many of us have been disappointed, betrayed and burned by somebody at church or just done in by somebody that you thought would always be there in your corner? Well husband, wife, friend, fellow church member, we are in good company with our blessed savior the Lord Jesus Christ himself.

The Apostle Paul and others have felt the sting of being let down, sold out and betrayed but don’t judge everybody by a few. There are some good people out there who will make a good friend. Don’t judge every church by a few though there is no perfect church.

There are some that are good, those that promote Jesus Christ and try to live out their Christianity. Then there is the enemy and those who are out to get us while being energized by Satan himself and who would do us harm. That being said we have nothing to worry about. If we are fretting we need to look by faith and we will see that there’s an invisible host all around us (2 Kings 6:17) and they have our back!

The nation of Israel was standing at the Red Sea, having their backs against the wall. It doesn’t get any worse than that. Caught between a rock and a hard place, it looked like life for them had come to an end; energized by the devil, Pharoah and the Egyptians are in pursuit of the Hebrews to wipe them off the face of the earth (Exodus 14:13-20).

But community, that’s exactly what’s going on now over in Israel, the antisemitic hatred against the Jewish people. Because Bible prophecy concerning the end times is built around this nation of Israel, Satan’s plans to annihilate them will fail. As Psalm 122:6 says we as Christians need to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem,” pray that our country and the president of this United States, Democrat or Republican, stands with Israel.

With their enemies approaching Moses tells the people in verse 14, fear ye not and don’t be afraid, God’s got our back!

I know our backs are against the wall, but man’s infirmities are God’s opportunities! We are just where God wants us to be. Stand still and see His glory. The angel of the Lord which went in front of them moved and got behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from in front of their face, and stood behind them: And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel (verse 19).

God had their back!

Community, we have nothing to fear. When men fail us, when family lets us down, when church folk disappoint us, when friends break our heart, just remember God is not a man that He should lie.

Friends, God’s got your back!