God's Unfailing Presence and Peace in Struggles

Devotional

Day 1: God Never Forgets or Abandons You

No matter how forgotten or forsaken you may feel by people—whether family, friends, or society—God never forgets you. Even in the darkest places, behind the bars of life or in the midst of struggle, God is present and still moving. He speaks to you in your trials and tribulations, furnishing you with favor and hope even when you feel at your lowest. You are never alone, for God’s presence is constant and His love is unwavering. [52:20]

Isaiah 49:15-16 (ESV)
“Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.”

Reflection: When have you felt most abandoned or alone, and how can you open your heart today to recognize God’s presence with you in that very place?

Day 2: God’s Peace Is Permanent and Powerful

God’s peace is not temporary or superficial; it is a deep, abiding presence that remains with you through every storm, every loss, and every moment of confusion. This peace is not as the world gives, but as Jesus gives—a peace that calms your soul, comforts you in adversity, and empowers you to stand firm even when everything else is shaking. When you hold your peace and let the Lord fight your battles, you experience a peace that saves and sustains. [58:14]

John 14:27 (ESV)
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to let go of anxiety and invite the deep, lasting peace of Christ to take root today?

Day 3: God’s Promises Still Stand

No matter what you face—struggles, injustice, loss, or uncertainty—God’s promises remain true and unbroken. You can count on God in the valley, on the mountaintop, and everywhere in between. The testimony of those who have gone before us, from Moses to Mary to your own ancestors, is that God keeps His word. When you stand on the promises of God, you find strength, hope, and assurance that your waiting is not in vain. [01:00:54]

2 Corinthians 1:20 (ESV)
“For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.”

Reflection: What is one promise of God you need to stand on today, and how can you remind yourself of His faithfulness in your current situation?

Day 4: Jesus Stays With Us in Our Struggles

Jesus does not just step into your situation and leave; He abides with you, remaining present through your adversity, grief, and trauma. When you feel like giving up, when words fail and all you can do is weep, Jesus stays. His presence is permanent, and He brings comfort, understanding, and peace that surpasses all understanding. You cannot put God out of your life—He is with you, sees you, and has a plan for you, even when you cannot see it yourself. [54:31]

Matthew 28:20b (ESV)
“And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Reflection: In what struggle or pain do you most need to remember that Jesus is staying with you, and how can you lean into His presence today?

Day 5: The Promise of Christ’s Return Gives Us Hope

Jesus made a promise that He is preparing a place for us and will come back to bring us to Himself. This hope is not just for the future but gives us strength and courage to face today’s challenges. No matter how broken the world seems or how long the wait, the promise of Christ’s return is a bridge of hope, reminding us that God repairs what is broken and that our story is not over. [01:06:17]

John 14:2-3 (ESV)
“In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”

Reflection: How does the promise of Jesus’ return shape the way you face your struggles and live out your faith today?

Sermon Summary

So many of us know what it feels like to be left behind, forgotten by family, friends, or even society. But God never forgets us. Even when we find ourselves trapped behind the bars of life—whether those bars are made of circumstances, mistakes, or pain—God is still moving, still speaking, and still present. There is no place so dark or so low that God’s presence cannot reach. He is not an occasional visitor in our lives; He takes up permanent residence, abiding with us through every adversity, every trial, and every moment of despair.

God’s presence is not passive. He brings movement, favor, and purpose even in our struggles. When we feel like we’re at the end, God says, “I have something for you to do.” He gives us grace when we feel empty, joy when we can’t find it ourselves, and peace in the midst of chaos. God’s peace is not a shallow or cosmetic comfort—it is a deep, soul-saving peace that calms us in the storm and gives us the strength to keep moving forward.

Throughout history, God’s people have found peace in the most unlikely places: Moses before Pharaoh, Paul and Silas in jail, Harriet Tubman on the Underground Railroad, Dr. King on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Their peace was rooted in struggle, born through suffering, and sealed in the hope of resurrection. This same peace is available to us today. It is a peace that stands on the unbreakable promises of God—a peace that remains when others leave, when justice fails, when jobs are lost, and when hearts are broken.

God’s promises are not void. They are personal, permanent, and powerful. When we look back over our lives, we see that God has always stood by His word, sustaining us through every trial. Even when we don’t understand, His presence stays with us, and His peace sustains us. No matter what we face, we can stand on the promises of God, knowing that our waiting is not in vain and our struggles are not the end. Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us, and He is coming back. Until then, we are invited to trust, to stand, and to receive the peace that only He can give.

Key Takeaways

1. God’s Presence Is Permanent, Not Occasional God does not simply step into our lives for a moment and then leave; He abides with us through every adversity. Even when we feel abandoned by others, God’s presence is unwavering and unshakeable. We cannot hide from Him, nor can we put Him out of our lives—He is always there, working in every situation for our good. [54:01]
2. Peace Is Not the Absence of Struggle, But God’s Gift in the Midst of It True peace is not found in the absence of problems, but in the presence of God during our problems. The peace Jesus gives is not conditional or cosmetic, but deep and soul-saving, able to calm us even when life is chaotic. This peace is rooted in our relationship with God and is available to us no matter what we face. [58:14]
3. God’s Promises Stand When Everything Else Fails When justice is denied, when relationships falter, when jobs are lost, and when hope seems dim, God’s promises remain. We can count on God in every season—on the mountaintop, in the valley, and in the darkest night. His word does not return void, and His faithfulness is the foundation for our hope and peace. [61:09]
4. Our Struggles Are Not Wasted—They Are the Soil for God’s Peace and Purpose The trials we endure are not meaningless; they are the very places where God’s peace is most powerfully revealed. Like the saints before us, our suffering can become the birthplace of a deeper trust and a more resilient hope. God uses our struggles to shape us, to draw us closer, and to show the world His sustaining power. [59:55]
5. Standing on God’s Promises Is an Act of Faith and Resistance To stand on God’s promises is to resist despair, to refuse to be defined by our circumstances, and to trust that God is working even when we cannot see it. This act of faith is both personal and communal, connecting us to the legacy of those who have gone before us and to the hope of what is yet to come.

** [65:17]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[52:05] - God Never Forgets You
[52:34] - Living Beyond the Bars
[53:18] - God’s Favor in Struggle
[54:01] - God’s Permanent Presence
[54:45] - You Can’t Hide from God
[55:18] - Shifting Perspective: From Lack to Blessing
[55:44] - Dreams Revived and Purpose Renewed
[56:17] - Breathing Through the Struggle
[57:02] - God Stays When Others Leave
[57:40] - The Power of Christ’s Peace
[58:14] - Jesus’ Gift of Deep Peace
[59:22] - Peace Has a Resume
[60:26] - God’s Promises Never Fail
[63:31] - The Sustaining Presence of God
[65:17] - Standing on the Promises
[66:00] - Jesus Prepares a Place for Us
[67:17] - God Repairs the Breach
[67:55] - Invitation to Christ

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

John 14:27 — “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
([58:14])

2. Psalm 139:7-10
“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.”
(Alluded to in [54:45])

3. Hebrews 10:23
“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”
(Alluded to in [01:00:54] and [01:03:31])

Observation Questions

According to John 14:27, what kind of peace does Jesus offer, and how is it different from the world’s peace? ([58:14])
In the sermon, what examples were given of people who experienced God’s peace in the middle of struggle? ([59:22])
What does the pastor say about God’s presence in our lives, especially when we feel abandoned or alone? ([54:01])
What does the sermon say about the nature of God’s promises when everything else fails? ([01:00:54])

Interpretation Questions

Why does Jesus emphasize that his peace is “not as the world gives”? What does this mean for someone going through a hard time? ([58:14])
The pastor mentions that God’s presence is permanent, not occasional. How might this truth change the way someone faces adversity? ([54:01])
The sermon lists people like Moses, Paul and Silas, Harriet Tubman, and Dr. King as examples of finding peace in struggle. What do their stories have in common, and what does that teach us about the source of true peace? ([59:22])
The pastor says, “Our struggles are not wasted—they are the soil for God’s peace and purpose.” How does this perspective challenge the way we usually think about suffering? ([59:55])

Application Questions

The pastor said, “God is not an occasional guest in your house. He has taken up permanent residency.” Is there an area of your life where you act as if God is only a visitor? What would it look like to invite Him to stay in that area? ([54:01])
When you feel forgotten or left behind by others, how do you usually respond? How might remembering God’s permanent presence change your reaction in those moments? ([52:05])
Jesus offers a peace that “calms you in the storm.” Think about a current or recent storm in your life. What would it look like to receive and rest in Jesus’ peace right now? ([58:14])
The sermon says, “Standing on God’s promises is an act of faith and resistance.” Is there a promise of God you need to stand on this week? What would it look like to do that in a practical way? ([01:05:17])
The pastor shared stories of people who found peace in the middle of suffering. Can you think of a time when you experienced God’s peace in a hard season? What helped you receive that peace? ([59:22])
The sermon challenges us to see our struggles as the soil for God’s peace and purpose. Is there a struggle you’re facing now that you can ask God to use for His purpose? How might you pray differently about it this week? ([59:55])
Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you.” How does this promise affect the way you view your current problems and your future? ([01:06:00])

Sermon Clips

God never forgets about you. God never forgets you. that I heard a story just recently that a man had been in jail for some 60 years and they finally realized he didn't commit the crime. And the man said, "You been in this jail your whole life. What do you want?" He said, "What are you going to do when you get outside?" He said, "When I get outside, I'm going to live." Because I live behind these walls. He said, "I could never say I did it when I didn't do it." He said because God kept telling me that one day I would be free. Sometimes behind the bars of life, we find ourselves struggling to see what God is doing. But even in your struggle, you ought to realize that God is still moving. [00:52:09]

If God is still speaking to you in your tragedy and your trial, he also speaks to you in tribulation. God will speak to you wherever you find yourself. Whether it be in trouble in jail, uh whether it be in trouble in school, uh whether it be in trouble at home, God speaks to you and he speaks movement to you. God furnishes you with things in life that shows people that you are favored even though you struggling. [00:53:00]

Some of us come to church and we bring bring mercy but we believe grace and God says I got grace for you. Some of us come to church and we can't even have no joy but joy got joy for you. Some of some of us are standing in the middle of a mess at our homes trying to figure out how we going to make it. And God's spirit is speaking to you and telling you that he's not an occasional guest in your house. He has taken up permanent residency. [00:53:39]

We all struggling through something because God will abide with you through adversity. Yes, he will. Anybody had God to be with you with at your lowest point. When you feel like throwing your hands up and quitting, when things seem difficult and tiring, God will abide with you. Because God does just not step into your situation. He stays in it. And because God stays in your situation, you can have some comfort and understanding that his existence in your situation is permanent. [00:54:09]

This is a strange thing though, y'all. You can't put God out your business. Because God resides everywhere. You can't hide nothing from God because God sees everything. And if we ever get that in our head and begin to understand that it makes no difference what you're going through, that God knows it and he has a plan for it. Yes, we have will and we have willpower. [00:54:41]

Often times in life, we see life from the perspective of what I don't got. But God want us to live for what we do got. We see our struggles, but God wants us to see when we're in our stride moving forward. We see our trials, but God wants us to see our triumphs. Let me put it this way here. If you've ever failed anything and then God brought you back and gave you more success, that is God's way of showing you that I'm with you when you're down and I'll be with you when you're up. [00:55:23]

Your dreams that you have, your hopes, your desires, they can all rise again. Your purpose still has a pulse. You can still feel the beat, the heartbeat of your problems. God is still calling you and waiting on you. God still has hope that you will stand up and move like you ought to. Yeah. What do we say? What do we say when peace seems to forsake us? What do we say when God is calling us and we just can't seem to get it right? [00:55:54]

We just keep standing and understanding that God is still with us. Every now and again, you got to take the attitude that when you're going through something, uh don't hold your breath, breathe out. Because everything that Jesus did in the Bible, it required some breaths to be taken. If you breathe again, you can't worry about what Floyd said. I can't breathe. But when you're serving God, God would allow your breath to be heard around the room. [00:56:20]

He wants us to understand that he is present in our peace. If you understand this you'll understand that God stayed with us. Some people left you when you were sick, but God stayed there. When you lost your job, you fell out, but God was still there. When you came forward and told the truth, God stayed. Jesus stayed to help us. To help us in our trauma, when we were uncomfortable, to help us in our grief, when we had no words, to help us when we were praying and all we could do is just sobb at the Jesus stayed. [00:57:04]

And he stayed because he wanted you to understand that if you trust me, there's peace in my life for every situation that I go through. My peace has power over conflict and confusion. That's why they say if you hold your peace and let the Lord fight your battles, it'll change some things for you. Every now and again, y'all, I have to shut my mouth and not say a word and watch how God works it out. [00:57:44]

Jesus offered a final gift and that gift was peace. Not conditional peace. Not peace that is cosmetic and not peace that can be confusing, but peace that saves soul. Deep peace. Peace that calms you in the storm. That's how you get peace with God. Some of y'all right now don't realize that you're going through some stuff and you don't understand why you're so comfortable with it. Because God is doing it for you simply because he has a plan for you. [00:58:14]

And because God is allowing you to struggle with struggle, he still gives you peace. Hallelujah. Let me just put it to you this way here. Peace has a resume. And if you want to know the resume of peace, look at the people that God used in the Bible. Moses before Pharaoh had peace. Deborah had peace. Paul and Silas in jail had peace. Harriet Tutman had peace. Dr. King had peace. Uh uh Emit Till's wife had peace. All those people, Fanny Liu Hammer had peace. [00:58:54]

All of them had peace because they had a relationship with God. And because they had a relationship with God, peace stayed with them. Yes. The peace of Christ is a peace rooted in struggle, born through suffering, and sealed in the resurrection. Jesus wants you to understand that when they came to the sealed empty tomb, they came knowing that God had something for them. They came looking for Jesus and not realizing that what the angel was about to tell them that he has risen. [00:59:18]

But when they left there, y'all, they left with the peace of understanding that God keeps his promises. They left understanding that God's promises will not come back forward. They left understanding that if you guard your heart, God will protect it, too. They left understanding that if you if you're going through a struggle, God can fix your mind. They left understanding that if you trust God, he'll calm your soul. They left understanding with all that you're going through in life that God is going to st take care of you. [00:59:47]

The Bible says that the promise still stands. The reason the promise stands is because you can count on God in everything that he says. You can count on God in your valley experience. You can count on God at the foothills. You can count on God in the top of the mountain. That's just cliché. But I want to tell you where you can count on God at really. You can count on God when you going through a struggle and nobody else is there to help you. [01:00:18]

You can count on God when justice does not serve justice and the world tries to take you out. You can count on God when the when the doctor shakes his head and said that's the end, but peace still reigns. You can count on God when they tell you they don't no longer need your services anymore, but you can walk around realizing that God took care of you all the time you was on that job. And he made a commitment to take care of you when you need that job. [01:00:44]

You can trust God when you're crying late at night, when your spirit needs to be comforted. And he sends somebody to speak joy and life into you. You can count on God because God's word still stands. God's promises are not void. If you don't believe me, pick up your Bible and ask Moses. Could he count on God? He counted on God when he stood before the burning bush. When a man had never talked to a bush before, talked to Elijah. He trusted God and stood on God's promises. [01:01:11]

Even though it was whispered, count on God. He's still there for you. Ask Mary when he told her when he came and saw her, he told her, "Fear not." You can count on God because he took care of Mary in her situation. But I want y'all to do me a favor. I want you to have some real knowledge, some real places. Think about your grandmother or your mama who counted on God because your grandmother or your mother or your father called God something different. [01:01:41]

I heard the songwriter say he's a rain maker. He's a head of road bearer. When you count on the promise of God, you can stand still and ask yourself, when the waters rise, God gives me peace. When I'm in the fiery furnace, God gives me peaceuh. When my heart is broken, uh, God gives me peace. Church, do you hear me? I'm still speaking to you about what God does in peace. But I want you to understand that the promise still stands. [01:02:09]

And because the promise still stand, the presence of God will stay with you. And because the presence of God will stay with you, the peace that sustains you will be with you even when you don't understand. Uh somebody here ought to lose their mind and begin to think about what God has done for you. You've waited, you've wrestled, but the promise still stands. It's personal. It's permanent. And it's powerful. Every now and again, you got to look back over your life and realize that some people that came before you came before you with an attitude, not understanding why, but knowing that God stood on his word with Harriet Tubman in the underground warrior with Sir Truth when she screamed, "Ain't I a woman?" When Dr. Martin Luther King stood at the Lincoln Memorial, what did they say? They all stood on the promises. [01:02:31]

Can you imagine standing before a 100,000 people, your life about be getting ready to be taken out, only to realize that the words that you speak, I have a dream. I have a dream that we will all be treated equal. We will all be treated fairly. I have a dream that my kids and your kids will live the same life. And then over 50 years later, we're still struggling. But God still promises. He promises to hold on to us. He promises to lift us up. [01:04:43]

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