Are you bold enough to believe God is always there?

This week's memory verse:
"No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you." Joshua 1:5

Have you ever seen the tv show "House" about the amazing doctor with the HORRIBLE bed-side manner? He solves medical mysteries and heals people who would otherwise die...BUT he is so negative, inappropriate, despicable and pitiful that no one can stand him. Life has given him some major issues to deal with, like a very painful leg injury that he must live with the rest of his life. He also has a thing about there being no God and anyone who believes is stupid and pitiful. There have been several episodes where he spouts his negative atheistic views. 

I know people who don't believe in God...don't believe in Christ and have a very negative attitude about Christians. Some of them have come to those conclusions because of hard life situations they have been through and did NOT feel God's presence. I personally feel sorry for them...they have closed themselves off to the possibility of the peace that accompanies a belief in something unseen. When you allow yourself to believe...when you reach out to the God that is always there, YOU open up the lines of communication between you and the God who has ALWAYS been there anyway!

Psalm 46:1 says God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble.

Isaiah 43:1-3 says we belong to God...we are his. When we are in over our heads, he is there with us. When we are in rough waters, we won't go under. When we are between a rock and a hard place, it won't be a dead end. He is our PERSONAL God. (Taken from the Message translation)

The verses above speak of a God who is with us...but we can't see him. It takes FAITH to believe in him and the things he can do. What happens when BAD things happen to you and you DON'T feel God there? 

Believing in God...believing he IS there...that takes FAITH. When something bad happens, sometimes we get hurt. Even with our faith, sometimes we don't come out of a battle unscathed. We sometimes have wounds and scars that we must carry around the rest of our lives. God doesn't promise bad things won't happen to us. He promises to be WITH US when they do happen!!!

Knowing that and holding on to that promise allows me to live a bolder life and allows me to do things that MIGHT get me hurt. I step out of my comfort zone and talk to strangers...I tell people about my faith...I put myself out there for my friends...I work hard. I do those things because I know no matter what...I will make it through with God beside me.

Dr. House might call me a fool for believing...but even if I am wrong and it turns out all this God stuff is false (which it won't!) then at least I have lived a life full of love and service...a life to be proud of! And I did it all believing that I am not alone...what's the harm in that?