#14 Holy Wit – Bible Study The Courage of God’s Nearness (I Am With You – A Final Word) Scripture Reading (NKJV): *Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you. *Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. *Isaiah 46:4 Even to your old age, I am He, And even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; Even I will carry, and will deliver you. *Daniel 3:25 Look! he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” *Daniel 6:22 My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me. *Ephesians 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Selected passages (NKJV): Deuteronomy 31:6 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy+31%3A6&version=NKJV Joshua 1:9 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joshua+1%3A9&version=NKJV Isaiah 46:4 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+46%3A4&version=NKJV Daniel 3:25 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Daniel+3%3A25&version=NKJV Daniel 6:22 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Daniel+6%3A22&version=NKJV Ephesians 2:13 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+2%3A13&version=NKJV ________________________________________ 1. The Thread That Runs Through Scripture From the earliest pages of Scripture to the teachings of the apostles, one promise appears again and again: God is with His people. It appears in moments of leadership transition, national crisis, personal calling, persecution, aging, and redemption. The circumstances change. The people change. The centuries pass. But the promise remains. “I am with you.” This series has traced that promise across several moments in Scripture. What we discover is that the courage God calls for is never rooted in human strength. It is always rooted in His nearness. ________________________________________ 2. Courage at the Edge of the Unknown In Deuteronomy, Moses stands at the end of his life. Israel is about to enter the Promised Land without him. The future is uncertain, the enemies are real, and the responsibility is enormous. Yet Moses does not offer Israel military advice or psychological encouragement. Instead he points them to a single truth: “The LORD your God… goes with you.” Joshua receives the same message when leadership falls to him. God does not minimize the challenge. Instead He commands courage — because His presence will accompany Joshua wherever he goes. The foundation of courage is not confidence in ourselves but confidence in God’s presence with us. ________________________________________ 3. Courage in the Midst of Danger The promise of God’s nearness does not mean His people will avoid danger. Daniel’s friends walked into a furnace heated beyond reason. Daniel himself was lowered into a den of lions. Yet in both stories the same pattern emerges. God was not merely observing from a distance. He was present. In the fire there was a fourth man. In the lions’ den the mouths of the lions were shut. God’s presence did not remove the trial. It transformed it. The furnace became a place where the Son of God walked among His servants. The den became a place where God’s protection silenced death itself. Courage grows where believers know that God’s presence is greater than their danger. ________________________________________ 4. Courage Across the Whole of Life Isaiah extends the promise even further. God is not only with His people in moments of crisis or calling. He is with them through the whole span of life. “Even to your old age, I am He.” From youth to gray hair, the Lord carries those He has made. The promise of God’s nearness is not temporary assistance but lifelong faithfulness. The God who calls also sustains. ________________________________________ 5. The Gospel Explains the Promise The Old Testament repeatedly tells God’s people that He is with them. But the New Testament explains how sinners can be brought near enough for that promise to be true. Ephesians declares that those who were once far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. This is the foundation beneath every promise of God’s presence. Human beings did not climb their way back to God. God came to rescue them. Through Christ: The dead are made alive. The distant are brought near. The estranged are reconciled. The courage of God’s people rests on the reality that grace has restored their relationship with Him. ________________________________________ 6. The Promise That Stands Over Every Generation Across the passages we have studied, one message emerges with clarity. God does not command courage because life is easy. He commands courage because He is present. He was present with Israel entering the land. He was present with Joshua leading the people. He was present with faithful servants facing fire and lions. He was present with His people across the years of their lives. And through Christ He brings believers near so that His presence is no longer a distant hope but a living reality. The courage of God’s people is therefore not bravado. It is trust. Trust that the God who calls His people forward never abandons them along the way. ________________________________________ Reflection Questions Looking back over the passages studied in this series, what patterns do you notice in the way God encourages His people? Why does Scripture consistently link courage with the presence of God rather than with human strength? How do the stories of Daniel and his friends deepen your understanding of God’s presence in suffering? How does the gospel in Ephesians 2 explain the foundation of God’s nearness to believers today? Where in your life do you most need to remember the promise, “I am with you”? ________________________________________ Prayer Points Thank God for His faithfulness in every generation to remain with His people. Praise Him that through Christ those who were far away have been brought near. Ask the Lord to replace fear with courage rooted in His presence. Pray for the grace to trust God’s nearness in both ordinary days and difficult trials. ________________________________________ For further study (NKJV): Matthew 28:20 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+28%3A20&version=NKJV Hebrews 13:5–6 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+13%3A5-6&version=NKJV Psalm 23:4 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+23%3A4&version=NKJV ________________________________________ #HolyWitBibleStudy #GordonMcGinnis #IAmWithYou #GodsNearness