Jesus promised, “I am with you always.” Always extends to your moments of doubt, when the doctor says, “There is nothing more I can do,” and sleepless nights when grief keeps you awake. In the moments when you feel alone, remember that God is with you and fights for you.
In our sinfulness we cry, “Let’s go back.” Faith, on the other hand, trusts and looks, “Always forward.” Always looking to Jesus who leaves the 99 to go after the 1. Always looking to Jesus who does not let the disciples go back to their former lives. Always looking to Jesus who graciously invites us to follow Him who is always moving forward to make all things new.
“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him.” (Psalm 37:7) Let’s be honest, being still is hard. In moments of hardship, we grab for control and demand immediate action. Sometimes the greatest demonstration of faith is to be still and quiet before the Lord.
We often panic before we pray and blame others when we are facing a crisis. Prayer is not only for those moments when you want to ask God for something. Prayer is for every moment of life. It’s for the times of joy. It’s for the times of sorrow. It’s for the times when you want to thank God and for when you question His plan. Thankfully, in His kindness, He hears our prayers no matter what.
The Bible is filled with examples of people who had misplaced fear. Pharoah’s army was too numerous. Goliath was too big. The storm was too strong. Death was too final. When we face moments of fear, we must acknowledge that the battle is real. We do not stick our head in the sand and pretend it’s not happening. Every moment of honest reflection is also a reminder that “nothing in all of creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:39)
Our lives are marked by the aggressive pursuit of comfort. Pain feels like a lack of God’s presence. When we feel pain and discomfort, we seek relief anywhere we can find it – even if it is apart from the Lord and His promises. Every moment of discomfort is an opportunity to trust that Jesus has made a way for you through the glory of the cross.
We often believe that God’s guidance leads to easy street. Every detour is a departure from God’s purpose and plan. No matter where you are, take heart, because Jesus walked the hardest road to bring us salvation and never leads us into places He hasn’t been. Remember, God’s plan is not to keep you from hardship, but He will get you through it.
In John 16, Jesus said to His disciples, “It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you.” It is almost certain that the disciples did not understand what Jesus meant. Even today, it is hard for us to understand the truth that the Spirit of Jesus IN us is better than Jesus WITH us. How does your I Witness story of the risen Jesus demonstrate the truth that, “the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you?” (Romans 8:11)
Let’s face it, the disciples weren’t exactly the cream of the crop. They weren’t the best of the best. If it were not for the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, history would have long forgotten that these people ever existed. Spending three years living with and being taught by Jesus did not turn them into powerful evangelists and proclaimers of the Gospel. It was and is only the Resurrection of Jesus that could take this ragtag band of misfits and transform them into the leaders of the Church which the gates of hell cannot prevail against. How might your I Witness story demonstrate the power of The Resurrection to bring strength out of weakness?
Some things are just too good to be true. Sometimes our head and our heart cannot process what we’re experiencing. The risen Jesus was standing before His disciples, wounds and all, and “they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling.” Faith is never something we figure out. In Luke 16:31 Jesus said, “If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.” For us and the disciples, faith is not something we do for ourselves, but it is the work of God, by the risen Jesus, through the Holy Spirit. How does your own I Witness story testify to this truth?