The past couple of months have culminated in some pretty big decisions Steve and I have been struggling with emotionally. We ask pretty much the same questions every day. We wonder what the future holds. If you could look into my heart and if you could hear the conversations we've been having with all of our support staff you would fully understand the importance of what today's daily devotional means for me personally....
Three words..........Always........Never...........and.........Hope........
My HOPE resides in Him and the comfort I pray to continue to receive.
Our Daily Bread
Monday,August 6, 2012
Always
Read: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
We shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. —1 Thessalonians. 4:17-18
I love the words always and never. They hold so much hope! I would like to think that I could always be happy and that life would never fail me. But reality says that I won’t always be happy and that the things I hope would never happen just might. So, as good as these words sound, they struggle to live up to their potential—unless you are thinking about the promise of Jesus’ presence.
To a group of troubled disciples who feared facing life on their own Jesus said, “I am with you always” (Matt. 28:20). The writer to the Hebrews reminds us that Jesus said, “‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we may boldly say: ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear’” (Heb. 13:5-6). And the apostle Paul assures believers that after death, “We shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:17). How encouraging!
No matter how scary our journey may feel today or how hopeless our future may look, the assurance of His never-failing presence can provide us with the courage and comfort to make it through. And best of all, when this short life is over, we will always be with Him. No wonder Paul encourages us to “comfort one another with these words” (v.18).
To a group of troubled disciples who feared facing life on their own Jesus said, “I am with you always” (Matt. 28:20). The writer to the Hebrews reminds us that Jesus said, “‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we may boldly say: ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear’” (Heb. 13:5-6). And the apostle Paul assures believers that after death, “We shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:17). How encouraging!
No matter how scary our journey may feel today or how hopeless our future may look, the assurance of His never-failing presence can provide us with the courage and comfort to make it through. And best of all, when this short life is over, we will always be with Him. No wonder Paul encourages us to “comfort one another with these words” (v.18).
Jesus said He’s always with us,
He will never leave our side;
Someday we’ll be in His presence
Where forever we’ll abide. —Sper
He will never leave our side;
Someday we’ll be in His presence
Where forever we’ll abide. —Sper
Confidence in God’s presence is our comfort.
Thank you for posting this. This past weekend has been one that has been like a dream, but I know that my Lord has been with me and my family. My mother and father in-law were is a 1 car wreak in Franklin, NC. MomMom talked to the doctors and were able to tell them how to contact her daughter. After that they found her neck was fractured and many ribs broken ... moved her to Missions Hospital in Ashville, NC. PopPop was considered to be in the best shape so he was to stay at Franklin Hospital. After moving MomMom they found many fractures in his neck and that he really should have been paralyzed from the neck down ... moved him to Missions Hospital too. He was in the same trama area with a curtain between him & MomMom. She started getting worse and then there was nothing else to do except let her go. She left her husband to join Jesus. He went through surgery Sunday ... fused many vertebrae together .. in ICU ... but NOT paralyzed ... a miracle from the Lord. We are heart-broken, but MomMom got the BEST ... her HEAVENLY home. During your prayer time, please remember us as we have her funeral Friday without PopPop. He has a LONG road ahead of him. I have read all of your post and have been touched by each one. Thank you for sharing and being so faithful to our Lord.
ReplyDeleteMalinda Breland Brown