I Am With You Always Through Every Storm

Jesus closes Matthew 28 with a promise that holds steady through every circumstance: he is with his people always. The command to make disciples rests on his authority and comes with his presence. That presence is not limited to a good season, a strong moment, or a day when his voice seems clear. Sickness, doubt, grief, and the giant standing in the way do not cancel what Christ has said.

The church must make room for people carrying those burdens. Worship can become busy with songs and preaching while real needs remain untouched. Prayer gives those needs room before the Father, who sees and hears his people in the middle of everything happening around them.

Job 36 gives that care a vivid picture. God rescues the afflicted in their affliction and opens their ears in the noise of oppression. He draws them out of the jaws of distress into a broad place, with room to move and a table full of rich food. His care is not leftovers. The banquet shows his affection, his love, and his desire to draw hurting people close.

David’s anguish in Psalm 22 gives words to the believer who feels abandoned. Yet the cry does not have the last word. God has not looked away; he has been right there listening. Jesus’ quotation of the psalm points toward that larger testimony of faithfulness.

Romans 8 strengthens the same assurance: the Spirit helps weakness, Christ intercedes, and nothing created can separate believers from God’s love. Psalm 46 names God as refuge and strength. The fitting response is to bring him the hurt, frustration, and fear rather than keep carrying them alone. David’s victory over Goliath rests on God’s power, not human strength. Praise can rise even in prison, and the Shepherd remains present even in the valley of the shadow of death.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Christ’s Presence Outlasts Every Hard Season. Christ’s promise does not expire when circumstances turn painful or his voice becomes hard to hear. Sickness, grief, and doubt are not proof that he has stepped away. The believer’s encouragement rests on his word, not on the ability to feel his nearness at every moment. [47:05]
• 2. God Draws the Afflicted Close. Job 36 presents deliverance as more than escape from trouble. God opens ears in oppression and draws the afflicted toward himself with love and affection. The broad place and the banquet picture care that is generous and personal, not a plate of leftovers handed to someone barely noticed. [1:02:27]
• 3. Honest Lament Does Not Prove Abandonment. David’s cries in Psalm 22 give room for anguish that sounds raw and desperate. The same psalm declares that God has not turned away from the afflicted but has been listening. Pain can speak honestly before God without becoming the final verdict on his faithfulness. [1:14:43]
• 4. Weakness Does Not Silence Heaven’s Help. Romans 8 places the Spirit’s intercession right where believers run out of words. Christ also intercedes, and suffering cannot separate his people from his love. Their security rests not on praying perfectly or holding everything together, but on God’s faithful action in their weakness. [1:20:58]
• 5. Praise Can Rise Inside the Prison. Paul and Silas offered worship while they were still confined. Their circumstances had not made God less worthy, and their praise did not wait for an open door. Worship becomes a response to who God is in the middle of trouble, rather than a reward offered only after relief arrives. [1:48:01]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [34:04] - Christ’s Authority and Lasting Presence
• [38:01] - Making Room for Prayer
• [42:34] - His Presence in Every Circumstance
• [52:06] - Job 36: Rescued in Affliction
• [56:57] - From Distress to a Banquet
• [1:05:40] - Loneliness Meets God’s Reassurance
• [1:10:37] - Psalm 22: Anguish and Faithfulness
• [1:20:58] - Romans 8: Nothing Can Separate
• [1:23:52] - Psalm 46: Refuge and Strength
• [1:26:27] - Bringing Burdens Before the Father
• [1:29:19] - God’s Power Against the Giant
• [1:39:29] - Psalm 23: The Shepherd in the Valley
• [1:48:01] - Praise in the Prison

Bible Reading

Matthew 28:18-20
“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.” [34:04]

Job 36:15-16
“He delivers the afflicted by their affliction and opens their ear by adversity. He also allured you out of distress into a broad place where there was no cramping, and what was set on your table was full of fatness.” [52:06]

Romans 8:26-39
“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. 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 gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, 'For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.' No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” [01:20:58]

Observation questions

1. In Matthew 28:18–20, what does Jesus say about his authority before giving the command to make disciples, and what assurance follows that command? [34:15]
2. In Job 36:15–16, what does God do for people in affliction? What contrasts appear between their distress and the place he draws them toward? [53:45]
3. How does David’s description of God’s care later in Psalm 22 contrast with his feelings at the beginning of the psalm? [01:14:43]
4. In Romans 8:26–39, how do the Spirit and Christ help believers? What kinds of hardship does Paul name as he describes the security of God’s love? [01:20:58]

Interpretation questions

1. How does the connection between Jesus’ authority, his command, and his presence in Matthew 28:18–20 encourage a believer who feels too weak to help someone else follow him? [34:15]
2. What do the spacious place and generous table in Job 36:15–16 reveal about God’s care beyond simply removing a problem? How is that different from seeing God as someone who barely notices hurting people? [01:02:27]
3. How can David’s honest anguish and his testimony that God listens both belong to a life of faith? What does Psalm 22 suggest about treating feelings of abandonment as proof that God has left? [01:15:11]
4. Romans 8 describes suffering alongside the Spirit’s help and Christ’s intercession. Why is the promise of God’s inseparable love different from a promise that believers will quickly escape every hardship? [01:22:50]

Application questions

1. When has sickness, grief, doubt, or silence made it difficult for you to trust Christ’s presence? What might help you hold onto his promise this week without pretending that you feel better than you do? [47:27]
2. God draws hurting people close with love and affection. When you are struggling, do you tend to expect his welcome or feel like an inconvenience to him? How might the picture of his generous table reshape the way you approach him? [01:09:24]
3. Is there a hurt, frustration, or question you have been reluctant to bring honestly before God? If you feel comfortable sharing, what would it look like to express that to him rather than hide it? [01:18:09]
4. Think of a time when you wanted to pray but could not find the words. How does the Spirit’s help in Romans 8 change the pressure you put on yourself in prayer? What could turning toward God look like on another day like that? [01:21:10]
5. Church activities can keep moving while someone’s real needs go unnoticed. What would make it easier for you to ask this group for prayer? What is one practical way this group could make more room for someone carrying a burden? [39:18]
6. Paul and Silas worshiped before their circumstances changed. What could honest praise look like in an unresolved situation you are facing—a song, a few words of thanks, or something else? How could you make room for praise without silencing your grief? [01:48:01]