Deuteronomy 31:6 – 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. (ESV)
I read a cute story on Facebook about a little boy who thought that he was old enough to visit his grandparents by himself. After much discussion, his parents agreed, and with his suitcase in hand, they took him to the train station.
Before getting on the train, his dad slipped something in his pocket and said, “If you feel bad or insecure, this is for you.”
The train left, and different people came through the car that he was sitting in. They were noisy and moved about a lot, and it bothered him. The conductor made a remark about his travelling alone, and one person looked at him with sad eyes.
He started to feel more uneasy with every passing moment. He felt cornered and alone. He put his head down, and with tears in his eyes, he remembered that his dad had put something in his pocket. Trembling, he searched for what his father had given him. He found the paper, and it read, “Son, I’m in the last car.”
When I finished reading that story, the first thing that came to mind was that this is like our Father God. He lets us do things that we think we can do alone, and He gives us freedom. But as we venture into life on our own, we can start to feel cornered and alone. What do you do when those feelings come over you? What do any of us do? To be honest, panic comes to mind – perhaps, we worry and become anxious.
Isn’t it comforting to know that instead of looking in our pocket for something that our dad put there, we can look in the Bible and read and believe God’s promises for us? The words might not read, “Son, I’m in the last car.” But oh! The promises in the Bible give us encouragement, strength beyond what we can imagine, and the security of knowing that we are not alone — ever! Those promises are always available to us. It’s our task to search them out whenever we need help.
“Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land.” (Genesis 28:15a ESV)
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9 ESV)
Prayer: Father God, thank You for always being with us. Thank You that when we, like children, venture into places that we should not go or do things that we shouldn’t do, instead of feeling alone and cornered or afraid, we can call out the name of Jesus! It is so comforting to know that You are always with us, closer than in the last car! Amen.
Copyright © 2022, by Brenda Vargas <brendalovespico@gmail.com>, first published on the PresbyCan Daily Devotional presbycan.ca .
Pico, Azores
Reprinted from PresbyCan with author’s permission