God is for me

God is not opposed to me. He is not my enemy. He is not searching out my mistakes so that He can turn away from me.

According to Webster's, to be for someone means “to be in favor of, to be in accord or sympathy with; to benefit or support.” If God is for me, it means that He is in favor of me (His favor is on me), He sympathizes with me. It means God is working for my benefit. The Creator and Ruler of the universe supports me (Webster's again) by promoting my interests, by upholding me, by defending my right, by being my advocate, by providing His assistance and help; by paying my costs, and by keeping me from fainting, yielding, or losing courage. He is my Parakletos, my Comforter.

If we truly believed that God was for us, it would change the way we interact with the people in our lives. We would stop striving with our mate or our children or our coworkers. We would freely give to others, whatever it was they needed from us - affection, acceptance, understanding, time, help - because we can afford to be generous, concerned with what others' need and not with what we need. I don't have to look out for me, because God is for me, He is looking out for me.

This is the life attitude the patriarchs displayed - a certain and secure knowledge that God was for them. Abraham allowed Lot the first choice of the Promised Land, without grudging him anything (Gen 13:5-12) - because He knew that God was for him and was able to bring His promise to pass. Abraham refused to take so much as a sandal strap from the king of Sodom when it was his by right (Gen 14:21-24) - because he knew that God was paying his costs, and he did not need a man to make him rich. It is interesting that immediately after Abraham did this, God appeared to him and said, “Do not be afraid; I AM your exceedingly great reward,” (Gen 15:1).

Abraham even offered up his son Isaac when the Lord asked it of him (Gen 22) - because he knew God was for him and was able to bring His promise to pass concerning him. Isaac, when the Philistines contended with him for one well after another, kept yielding well after well, until he was able to dig one they left him in peace over (Gen 26:15-22). Why? Because he knew that God was for him. A man who knows that can afford to be generous and can afford to yield his rights.

Jacob did have trouble learning the lesson that God was for him. The result was that he was constantly striving to look out for himself, even to the point that he contended with God (Gen 32:22-31) - where he finally learned that he need not fear man, because God was for him. The life of Joseph is a life lived by a man who knows that God is for him (Gen 37-50).

“When I cry out to You,
Then my enemies will turn back;
This I know, because God is for me.” Psa 56:9

“The LORD is on my side;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?” Psa 118:6

“And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever-- The Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive (welcome, take to its heart), because it does not see Him or know and recognize Him. But you know and recognize Him, for He lives with you [constantly] and will be in you.” Joh 14:16-17, AMP

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.” Rom 8:31-34

“Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Cor 5:18-21

“So we may boldly say: “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” Heb 13:6