A “Me and You” God - All The LORD is near Daily Devotionals for 2025

The Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. And I will make My covenant between Me and you."
Genesis 17:1-2

A "Me and You" God
God had promised Abram that his own child would be his heir, and he had believed Him (15:4, 6). But he and his wife Sarai were old and time was running out, so they took matters into their own hands. She arranged for him to have a child with her maidservant, and he consented (16:2-4). The child Hagar conceived was Abram's son right enough, but he got him the wrong way. It was a disaster; Ishmael was a cause of problems even before he was born (vv. 5-6).

No doubt Abram felt his mistake keenly, but turn one chapter on and we find he had a faithful God. Sin would have its consequences but God would work out His purposes and bless His failing servant nonetheless. Many of us have had to learn this bittersweet lesson and grow thereby. It would be fourteen long years before Sarah bore Isaac, and God records of Abraham, "not being weak in faith he did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform" (Rom. 4:19-21; cf. Gen. 17:16). The apostle Paul uses Abraham's faith as the model for our faith in the Lord Jesus (Rom. 4:22-25).

God never gives up on His purpose and never gives up on His people. If we believe on the Lord Jesus we can count on Him even when we go wrong. He is a "Me and you" God, and He wants to bless us exceedingly, even in this life. He says to us, "Walk before Me and be blameless"; that is, we are to confess our weakness and failure, and depend on and obey Him. As we do this, we realize all His promises in Christ are "yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us" (2 Cor. 1:20).

Simon Attwood