What is it that surrounds us? Is it the world with its temptations and ensnarements? The flesh with its lusts? The devil with his malicious hatreds and eternal enmity against God? It does not matter: “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
“But I am in sore straights, O Lord, and in misfortune; no one regards me, no one gives me anything, all blame me and speak ill of me.”
“Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
But Lord, Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and now they want to take away Benjamin. Everything is against me!”
“Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
“But I don’t see those who are on our side, Lord.”
It does not matter. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” The One who is above all and who is on our side is alone sufficient; and if He is for us, who can be against us?
He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
‘For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:32-39).
I suspect that at this point Jacob might protest that he did not mean to say exactly what he did say and that his protest was really meant along slightly different lines. He had complained that “everything” was against him. “But,” he might say, “I did not really mean that everything was against me. I know that God is for me and will probably work this all out somehow, though I cannot see how he will do it. I did not mean that. What I really meant was that no other human beings are for me. I am trying to do the right thing, but it is dreadfully hard. I am so alone.”
Have you ever said that? Have you ever felt that you have seriously tried to serve God and have done so for many years, but that it is difficult? Have you felt that you were the only one trying to hold the line at times? Have you felt that although everything may not be against you, at least no one is standing with you or serving with you to share the burden?