Genesis 28:15
“And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.”
The promise God made to Abraham was, “I am with thee.” What a promise! To know that God is going to be with you as you pursue the life of faith is comforting to the believer. With the promise of God being with Abraham came many other promises that He would fulfill for him.
First, because God was with Abraham, He would “keep” him wherever he went. Notice it says, “…and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest…” This was good to know because Abraham was leaving his family to go to a strange land. He was leaving everything he knew to go to a place where he had never been, and to a people whom he did not know. As long as God was going to be there in this foreign place with these foreign people, that was all Abraham needed.
My parents used to tell me that the safest place to live is in the middle of God’s will. They told me that if God sent me to the deepest parts of Africa that I would be safer there than in the safest neighborhood in America. The reason they could promise this is because when God is with you, He will also keep you no matter where you go. That is why you can go soul winning in dangerous neighborhoods and still know that you are safe because God is with you. If God calls you to go to foreign soil to spread the Gospel, then you will be safe because He is with you.
Second, because God was with Abraham, He never had to worry about God leaving him. God said to Abraham in the verse above, “I will not leave thee.” When Abraham faced battles and famines, God did not leave him. It didn’t matter what Abraham faced, He was assured God was staying with him.
When God is with you, it doesn’t matter what you face, He will not leave you. When the going gets tough, God will still be with you. God will never leave you just because you face hard times. When your health is leaving you, God is still going to be with you. When you face the attacks of the enemy, God is going to be with you. When finances are drying up, God is going to be with you. When family criticizes you for doing something they don’t understand, God is going to be with you. When other Christians forsake you and question your stand, if you are doing God’s will He will be with you. He promised He would not leave you no matter what you face.
Third, because God was with Abraham, He promised He would fulfill the purpose of why He sent him. What confidence this should give to every person who is living in the will of God. If God called you to do something, He will not leave you until He has accomplished the purpose of sending you. Christian, God is going to finish the purpose of why He placed you on this Earth. Don’t despair when you think you are going nowhere. If you’re doing what God has called you to do, then it doesn’t matter what others think of you, God will make sure that you accomplish the task He called you to do.
The question I must ask you is this, is God with you? This is the only way you can claim these promises. As long as you are living in God’s will and walking with Him daily, you can be assured that God is with you. As Psalm 91 tells us, if we will dwell in God’s secret place, then we will live under His shadow. When you live under God’s shadow, then you are assured He is with you and these promises are for you to claim.