February 26, 2024

II Chronicles 15.2-4 (NIV)
“The Lord is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. For a long time Israel was without the true God, without a priest to teach and without the law. But in their distress they turned to the Lord . . . and sought him, and he was found by them.”

Despite the technological changes from ancient civilization to our present time, the human condition has not changed.* 

“It goes without saying . . .” is always followed by saying what should go without saying. It seems unnecessary to point out that God is with you when you are with him and he’s not when you’re not. But the Israelites had a history of needing to hear the obvious. We see here a condensed version of Israel’s story – one that was repeated over and over. They turned their backs on God; they got into trouble; they turned back to God – and he took them back. For them, “it goes without saying,” is just a saying.

Living in right-relationship to God requires some circular reasoning: we must have a relationship with God in order to have a relationship with him, for without that relationship, we do not have the means to maintain a relationship with him.

In this passage, we see a picture of our loving Father. He doesn't hold grudges, and he never reminds us that we are not worthy of his trust. When we are with him, he is with us. One-hundred percent.   

The call to remain faithful to God challenges [us] to make [our] relationship with God [our] priority in life.*

*Quote sources available upon request.