Every man wants to know that someone believes in him.

Every man wants to know that he has someone right there with him. God made us to need one another, to stand together.

But even more than that, God says, “I am with you.” Every one of us needs to understand that there is a God in Heaven and that He is with us. He is at our right hand! He will take care of us. He will look out for us. He is our helper, our Savior, and our guide. God promises every believer that He will be with us always and never leave us (Matthew 28:20).

These are words of affirmation that cut straight to the heart, words that every man wants and needs to hear, know, and believe. These words strengthen and equip. If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31).

Scripture is full of examples of how knowledge of the Lord’s presence has empowered and emboldened men to live out their callings. Genesis 39:2-3 tells us that the Lord was with Joseph and caused everything he did to succeed. Even when Joseph was wrongfully accused and sent to prison, the Lord was with Joseph and showed him unfailing love (39:21). Joseph went on to serve the Lord faithfully in all the circumstances he faced―first in prison, then as interpreter of Pharaoh’s dreams, and finally as second-in-command in Egypt. It was God’s ongoing presence with Joseph that enabled him to find success and favor in every situation.

When God appeared to Moses in the burning bush, Moses reacted with fear and hesitation: Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the people of Israel out of Egypt?

God’s reply answered Moses’ fears: “I will be with you” (Exodus 3:11-12). Moses went on to lead his people out of their slavery, through the wilderness, and to the edge of the Promised Land. It was God’s presence with Moses that enabled him to become a great leader.

Joshua was commissioned by God after Moses’ death to lead the Israelites the rest of the way. God exhorted Joshua to meditate on the Law and promised success if he kept the covenant. And God promised something more: “Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you…Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:5, 9 ESV). God’s presence equipped Joshua to lead his people to victory over their enemies settle in their new home.

Before his death, David the shepherd boy who first understood God’s presence in the wilderness  ‒ and then acted on that understanding the rest of his life ‒ passed on words of exhortation to his son Solomon. As Solomon prepared to build the Lord’s temple, David charged him to “be strong and courageous…do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, for the Lord God, even my God, is with you. He will not leave you or forsake you…” (1 Chronicles 28:20 ESV). Solomon went on to complete the temple and was known as the wisest man who ever lived.

Finally, one of the most powerful assurances of God’s presence recorded in Scripture is found in the Great Commission. “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age’” (Matthew 28:18-20 ESV).

Jesus Christ―God in the flesh―gave His disciples an unshakeable reason not to fear, He gave them a purpose and calling, and He gave them the promise that He would be with them. The disciples took Christ’s word to heart. What those “ignorant Galileans” went on to do in God’s power and presence would change not only the world of their age, but the very course of history. What do all these passages tell us? What is God so carefully and repeatedly trying to say?

His message is this: The key to your success as a Christian man is to realize and believe that the Lord is with you―and then act on it.