Stand with God Gen. 3:6 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO
To be highly functional in your family relationships, your work associations, your church fellowship and your friendships, you must stand with God. That way, when something becomes too emotional, too personal, or too subjective, you can step back and go with God’s view of the matter. When you stand with God, you keep yourself out of a mound of trouble and a world of hurt.
In your personal relationships, you want to surround yourself with people who stand with God. You see, at times, even when you stand with God, you can get caught up in something that you take personally or take in the wrong way. In those times, you need somebody who is going to stand with God. Someone in your relationships, a husband, a wife, a child, a pastor, a counselor, a coworker, or someone must stand with God and point out to you what God said. That way you can keep from hurting yourself or others and get back with God.
Sometimes you must stand with God against someone else. Stand with God against someone else:
Even when she is your wife. Adam didn’t stand with God against Eve – Gen 3:1-6 – Adam should have never let that situation with Eve get out of hand. Look what happened to us. Likewise, Abraham should have stood against Sarah in Gen 16:1-3. Look what happened to Israel as a result [Gen 16:12]. Abraham birthed Israel’s enemy.
Even when he is your husband. Sarah stood with God against Abraham – Gen 21:9-12 – the Bible clearly says that wives are to be in subjection to their own husbands. Yet, there are times when husbands are not standing with God [1 Pet 3:1]. In some cases, wives must stand with God and insist that their husbands do the same.
Note: Neither Ananias nor Sapphira stood with God – Acts 5:1-10 – at times when either the husband or the wife is standing against the Lord, the other one must stand with God. The spouse who is standing with God cannot let the family be destroyed by the one who is in error.
Even when he is your father. Jonathan stood with God against Saul – 1 Sam 19:1-6 – and it worked for a while. Sometimes, though rarely, parents get cross wise with God. When that happens, if you can see clearly from the word of God where God is, then stand there. As children in religious families, some of us have had to stand with God against our parents’ religion. Thankfully, some of our parents came around and got saved.
Even when they are your children. Eli didn’t stand with God against his sons – 1 Sam 3:13 – they were way out of line with God, fornicating with women and stealing from the sacrifices of God. Eli knew this and yet he would not stand against them, Consequently, the priesthood was stripped from him, his boys were killed and his lineage cut off from the ministry.
Even though you stood with the person before. Nathan stood with God against David – 2 Sam 7:1-17, 1 Chr 22:8-10 – David wanted to build a temple for the Lord God. Nathan encouraged David to build until God told Nathan otherwise. When Nathan heard from the Lord that David was not to build a house for the Lord, he stood with the Lord against David and told him not to build it. The future builder would be David’s son and successor to the throne, King Solomon.
Even when he is older than you are. Samuel stood with God against Eli – 1 Sam 3:11-18 – Samuel was much younger than Eli and yet God gave him a terrible prophecy to relay to Eli. Samuel stood with God despite his fear. Standing with God is something that Eli should have done against his sons. Because he didn’t they messed up the priesthood and corrupted the sacrifices of the Lord. Thus, Eli’s sons were killed by the Philistines. Samuel’s prophecy didn’t help Eli, at this point but rather confirmed what the man of God had said to him in 1 Sam 2:27-34. However, passing this test encouraged Samuel to always stand with God and speak the truth, no matter against whom he had to stand. Later he would have to stand with God against Saul.
Even when the person won’t listen. Agabus stood with God against Paul – Acts 21:10-14 – Paul didn’t listen. Agabus was the confirming witness for the disciples in Tyre [Acts 21:4]. It is not up to you to change the person you are standing against. It is up to you to simply stand with God. They are the ones who must decide to change. You can’t do that for them. The folks said to Paul, “The will of the Lord be done.”
Especially when you are discipling him. Jesus stood with God against Peter – Matt 16:23; 26:34 – but Peter didn’t listen. If you are being taught in the ministry you want to listen carefully to the man God has given you to teach you. You, like Peter, may not like what he has to say; but you, like Peter, will mess up if you don’t pay attention and stand with God. That’s why he’s standing with God against you. He wouldn’t be against you if you were standing with God.
Conclusion: our duty is to stand with God. When we stand we provide our friends and our families with the strongest, most functional relationship that can help them stand with God.