As a student of languages, as I meditated on this verse, my attention focused on the tenses used. ”Be strong and do not fear” are all in the imperative form, i.e. they are commands, giving us a directive for how to behave when we are facing an enemy. “God is coming” is the present progressive tense, meaning that it is happening right now. I remember when my children were small and I would call them to the dinner table. I would inevitably get a response from at least one of them, “I’m coming!” But they really weren’t. What they were actually doing was continuing to play, read their book or whatever they had been doing when I called them. They did not let my calling them to dinner interrupt what they were doing at the time. It is good to know that when God says He is coming, He truly means now. It is in the progress of happening, now. His promise to be on the way sustains me until He gets here and ultimately saves me from my enemies, whoever or whatever they may be at the time.

This verse means a lot to me right now because of all of the health issues that I have had recently. God has promised to be right there with me and He assures me that He is coming to defeat my enemies. More than that, He has already defeated our ultimate foe, death, on the cross, so there is no reason to fear. Yes, there are numerous medical tests, some more uncomfortable than others, but God is coming. He will be there right when I need Him, not a minute too early or too late. I hope that each of you has that reassurance that no matter what is going on in your life right now and no matter what enemies you face, God is coming. He is in the process of moving closer to you, to stand between you and your enemies, and to fight for you in whatever battles you face.

May your day be blessed with the knowledge that God is coming and He is never late!