Presence | 10 Bible Promises for Mamas

Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.

Deuteronomy 31:6

I remember the very first days of becoming a mama. They were filled with beauty and joy, slowness and embrace, enamored by the gift of my precious newborn babe. Those days felt like magic – with a glimpse of God’s goodness like I’d never experienced before. All the joys of becoming a mama, with so many moments beyond what I could have ever imagined them to be. But, in the midst of all of that overwhelming joy and gratitude, there was another new normal that began to creep into my heart, the ache of loneliness and isolation.

I vividly recall the anxiety of the night, as I would await the sound of cries, wondering when I would feed and soothe my new baby. And I think back to the anticipation of the days, when my husband would head off to work, and it was just us in the house. Those feelings of loneliness and isolation were feelings that I wasn’t prepared to feel in motherhood and I remember praying, “God, how can I feel this way when I’m never alone, there is always this sweet baby by my side?” And now, here we are, almost two years later, raising up a toddler who is developing his own little personality, learning that he has dreams, desires, and dislikes of his own, and I can still feel that ache of loneliness and isolation at times as I am navigating through it all.

We’ve all felt it, we’ve all been there, and we are all still navigating through these feelings in many moments of motherhood and our everyday lives. Some days of motherhood are just plain hard, and if you’ve ever felt the ache of loneliness and isolation, I can promise you that you are not alone.

Our intimacy with God, as we experience His presence, is a gift and a promise from our Creator, and possibly the thing Satan hates the most.

When our hearts begin to feel far from God, as the ache of loneliness and isolation creeps in, could it be that they are actually calling out for more of His presence? 

The enemy will do anything and everything in his power to distance our connection with God, because being in the fullness of God’s presence is God’s original design and purpose for His children, all before sin entered the word. So, while motherhood is filled to the brim with joy, connection and the gift of always having littles running around, it can also be one of the hardest, loneliest, isolating callings, and the enemy’s aim is to keep us in that place and cause even greater distance from the presence of God. When we feel distanced and disconnected from the presence of the Lord, we must declare that the enemy is at hand, seeking to keep us at bay from our Creator, who is the source of every good thing, and seek the presence of God all the more.

The presence of God is a one-time deposit, always with us, and promised to us until we are in the fullness of His presence for eternity.

The word of God declares this as a promise, “for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” So, it’s not a matter of if His presence is there, it’s a question of “are we embracing it?”

1. The presence of God is a one-time deposit.

Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”

2 Corinthians 1:21-22

When we give our lives to Christ, declaring that we are sinners and in need of a Savior, believing in all of who He is and what He’s done for us, we receive the gift of His presence. His word declares that He “puts His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” This means that the gift of His presence is a one-time gift, given to us by our Creator and there’s nothing we can do to earn it, lose it, or get more of it, and this one-time deposit guarantees our eternity in heaven. As His Spirit now dwells in our hearts, may we press into, experience and embrace the gift of His presence that is in our hearts for all of eternity, believing that, in Christ, we have victory over the enemy who seeks to keep us in loneliness and isolation.

2. The presence of God is always with us.

When we feel distance and disconnection from God, as motherhood is fast and busy like the “wings of the dawn” and isolating and lonely like the “far side of the sea,” we must trust in this truth and cling to it when our hearts struggle to believe. His word declares that even there, in those fast, busy, isolating, lonely moments, the hand of God will hold us fast. The presence of God is always with us, even when our world feels like it is falling apart and we ask “God, where are you in this?” The enemy will use our feelings to keep us wandering, in the cloud of loneliness and isolation, but God’s word is faithful and true. When God feels distanced and disconnected, may our hearts seek Him all the more and rest in knowing that the presence of God is always with us, wherever we go and whatever we do.

3. The presence of God is a promise until we are in the fullness of His presence for eternity.

And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

Matthew 28:20

These are the very last words of our Savior on the earth, after His death on the cross and resurrection from the tomb, just before He ascends to heaven. I wonder if these are Jesus’ last words because this promise of His presence may be the one our hearts need reminding of the most? When Jesus ascended to heaven, imagine how his family, friends and the crowds of believers must have felt – Immanuel, God with us, was gone. But He had already spoken these words to them, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever” (John 14:16). So, when Jesus himself declared that He would be with them always, until the very end of the age, He was pointing to the promise of the Spirit, the Helper, the presence of God, tucked away in the hearts of believer, until we are in the fullness of His presence for eternity, forevermore.

The word of God reminds us over and over that God is with us, because He knew that we would need those constant reminders of His presence. When we begin to feel distanced and disconnected from God, or when the feelings of loneliness and isolation from the world creep in, we must remind our hearts that more of His presence is what we need. He is calling us to press in, believe and create that sacred space in our hearts to experience His presence in every moment of motherhood and our everyday lives. The presence of God is a one-time deposit, always with us, and promised to us until we are in the fullness of His presence for eternity. Are you embracing the impact of this promise?

Mama, this is Christ’s invitation to you, a life of embracing the fullness of His presence as He dwells in the hearts of believers, forevermore. We are never alone, His word declares it, and we must believe it’s true. In whatever this season of motherhood brings you, whether the loneliness of midnight feedings, the feelings of isolation in raising your littles, being lost and alone in the chaos of busy schedules, being constantly needed or the uncertainty of what to do next. The enemy’s aim is to make you feel like “I’m the only mama going through this” and he will do everything to keep you distanced, distracted and disconnected from your Creator. But, we have victory over the enemy in Christ, our God has defeated him for all eternity on the cross and with the empty grave.

God has promised you the power of His presence. May we be the mamas who choose to take hold.

As a way to celebrate these 10 Bible Promises for Mamas, I have collaborated with my dear friend, Annalisa Sawtell, who is an incredible artist with an inspiring love for Jesus and a heart for seeking beauty where truth and grace collide. Each week, she will be releasing a floral art print that captures the heart of each promise. Our hope is that mamas would download these weekly prints as a way to reflect on the weekly promise and embrace the scripture that reminds us of each truth.

Presence | Wildflowers

Follow along with Annalisa as she shares more beautiful artwork and inspiring words on Instagram and at annalisavsawtell.com.

Join us for this ten week series as we unpack each one of these 10 Bible Promises for Mamas! If you missed the introduction to the series, click here to read. God has promised us peace, joy, presence, strength, guidance, deliverance, rest, purpose, mercy and hope in all things. I pray that His word is our stronghold and His promise is our hope. I’m praying for you, mama!