The Lord goes with me – anywhere, anytime. His presence is reassuring, especially if I’m going into a challenging situation. But too often I forget that as well as going with me, the Lord also goes ahead of me. He doesn’t just arrive when I do; He was already at my destination well before I got there.
This was true for Ananias when God told him to visit Saul of Tarsus. Ananias thought Saul would imprison him because Saul persecuted anyone who followed Jesus. Instead, to his total surprise, Ananias discovered that Saul had already become a follower himself(Acts9:10-16). Likewise, Peter obeyed God and went to the house of the gentile, Cornelius, even though it broke all the rules. And to his utter amazement Peter was shocked to see these gentiles believe the Good News while he spoke with them (Acts10:28-45). God had already prepared their hearts.
You may well be the only believer in your workplace, your sports team or your book club. And it can feel daunting to be God’s representative in that place. But remember: you don’t take God with you. He is already there, at work in the lives of these people. So, take a deep breath, be courageous light and salt, and expect to see God’s fingerprints on their lives. Because he is already there.