With or Without You

"I was eighteen years old when I first encountered Jesus. I remember distinctly a conversation I had with a Christian leader shortly afterwards. I said how glad I was that I had not become a Christian earlier, since I had been able to experience the difference between life with God and life without God. He pointed out the fallacy of this way of thinking and suggested that the sooner we experience life with God, the better.

Looking back on my life now, I see the wisdom of his words. I am so grateful to God that our children can look back on their own lives and say that there has never been a time in their life when they were ‘without God’.

Over the years, I have interviewed hundreds of people who have encountered Jesus on Alpha. A pattern often emerges in their testimonies – the contrast between their life before becoming a Christian compared to their life as a Christian. They contrast their life without God and their life with God. There is always a sense of great joy and relief, and often regret that they did not begin their life with God earlier.

We are created to live in a relationship with God. Without that, life will never really make sense. There is a stark contrast in the Bible between life with God and life without God. In the passages for today we see what is possible with God.

Psalm 60:5-12

Trust God in every difficulty

Compared with God’s help, human help is worthless. ‘With God’, he says, ‘we shall gain the victory’ (v.12). He was speaking about physical battles. The apostle Paul writes that our main battles are not physical. They are not ‘against flesh and blood, but … against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms’ (Ephesians 6:12).

David prays, ‘Save us and help us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered … Give us aid against the enemy, for human help is worthless. With God we shall gain the victory’ (Psalm 60:5,11–12a).

Lord, I look to you to help me in all the battles I am facing. Give me aid, I pray. I need you to go with me. Thank you that with you I can be confident of victory. I trust in you today."

1. Thank You that it was never too late for me and my family to know You. The victory has won!

2. Praise God for the opportunity to keep learning new languages.

3. Hallelujah for diversity!