You are not Alone!

The young man has been sitting in a jail cell in maximum confinement for 5 months. I visit him every Friday morning, sitting in a small, windowless room, talking across a cold steel table. The whole situation is isolated, lonely! He is resisting the usual choice to join one of the gangs that are common among those who are incarcerated but going it ‘alone’ is a perilous and difficult choice. Yesterday I reminded him that God’s Spirit cannot be shut out by bars or violence, that there is One who is always with him.

Jesus, before He was crucified, gathered His disciples, and said "I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." (John 14:16-18, NIV) 

When fear rises in the night, the Spirit is there.
When challenges come at Noon, He is there.
When you are successful and ready to celebrate, He is there, too!
When heartbreak shatters you, He is there.

The text I read a moment ago says that He is our Counselor. Some Bible translations say, “Comforter.” Others say, “Helper.”  The original text, Koine Greek, reads “parakletos,” a word that described someone who stood with their friend in time of need to speak on their behalf. God, the Holy Spirit, is there, at our side, all the time. We are never alone!

Friends are a blessing and worth the effort required to create and strengthen our ties with them. Being on teams at work or in ministry is a blessing of inestimable value. But the ever-present Spirit is a treasure, a rich resource, a great comfort. Let us never ignore Him or push Him away with our doubt or disobedience.

Let me assure you today that none of us is ever too far gone, too sinful, too anything to be beyond the reach of God’s Spirit.

In the story of the ancient Jewish people, their sins had become such that God needed to bring correction. He did so with an invading army that decimated the land. It was a terrible time, of great suffering, yet even then they were not completely forsaken. They felt like they were.

 It looked like God had forgotten them, but He said otherwise. "But the Lord still waits for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for him to help them. O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. He will be gracious if you ask for help. He will respond instantly to the sound of your cries. Though the Lord gave you adversity for food and affliction for drink, he will still be with you to teach you. You will see your teacher with your own eyes, and you will hear a voice say, “This is the way; turn around and walk here.” (Isaiah 30:18-21, NLT)

What a phrase! “Though the Lord gave you adversity for food and affliction for drink, he will still be with you.”   Sometimes when we are going through difficult seasons, especially those we realize are the result of our own failure, we might be tempted to think that God has abandoned us. That is a lie much used by the Evil One to discourage us. In truth – God is with us, shaping us, molding us, and asking us to trust Him more.

The story of the Prodigal Son, told by Jesus, and recorded for us in Luke 15, reminds us that He is our waiting Father, calling to us, desiring our return to the embrace of His love. Listen for the voice of the Spirit Who even today is saying, “This is the way; turn around and walk here.”

The word from the Word brings us tremendous joy as we learn and live it. Take with you today and remember that YOU ARE NEVER ALONE.
"For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear,
but you received the Spirit of sonship.
And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” (Daddy!)
The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ,
if indeed we share in his sufferings
in order that we may also share in his glory."
(Romans 8:15-17, NIV)

Can I get a Hallelujah? Amen

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Video at https://www.youtube.com/@JerScott55