I don’t know how many of you have ever walked on a sandy beach. Personally, my favorite part is the warm sand between your toes right at the water’s edge. The part as you walk along you can see where you’ve been. The part that leaves a trail behind you for a little way before its all washed away.
One poem that I really love is Footprints in the Sand. If you are not familiar with that poem, it tells of a man who is walking along the beach talking with Jesus and he notices two sets of footprints in the sand. Pretty soon as they are walking, he only notices one set. As he continues, there is again two sets of prints. He turns to Jesus and says, “What happened, we were walking along together, then I noticed you left and there was only one set of prints in the sand. Why did you leave me? Jesus said I didn’t leave you, I carried you.
Doesn’t life feel just like that sometimes. We are strolling down the beach hand in hand with Jesus. Everything seems smooth sailing. All of a sudden, the tide starts coming in, the waves get a little bigger and we feel all alone. We can’t quite understand what happened. We think, I felt so close to My Friend and now I can’t feel Him at all. Why would He leave me at a time like THIS?
Some of you may not have a relationship with Jesus a that is why you’re here. You are curious. You are seeking . “Everything seems smooth sailing”, you may be saying, “Why would would I be seeking something or someone else”. You’re here and it’s not by accident.
The great news is, and this is for everyone, when you show up, He will meet you there. You are not going through rough times alone and you don’t have to. He did not walk further away from you, it is quite the contrary.
The problem is this, we think we can handle things, alone. We start to wander around the beach, alone. Although He is right beside us, we begin to feel alone.
Then all of a sudden we can’t handle it anymore, and we break, we finally fall on our faces, sometimes literally, in a panic. Shouting, “Where are you, why have you left me? Why do I feel so alone, can anyone hear me, can anyone help me?”
Friends, the answer is as simple as the problem, we can’t handle life, alone. We weren’t meant to. I have so many verses in my head right now. Promise after promise, from Our Lord and Savior. I am only going to talk about this one right now but I pray this is the one you need today.
In Deuteronomy 31, God tells Moses he is going to die (whoa, what? put the brakes on, and you thought you had it bad). Because of his actions, Moses would not get to enter the promised land. Before he died, God needed Moses to give another message to Joshua and His people (God’s people) before they entered the promised land, in verse 8 Moses says to them: It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.
I would like you to sit on that verse a while. Say it out loud five times. Then put your name at the beginning of that verse and read it to yourself until you hear the sweet promise of God rest on your heart. Praise God. He is amazing!
Pretty soon when times start to get rough and you feel all alone these words will come to mind. When you make God’s words part of your song, you will be singing them at just the right time.
Friends, It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.
You are not alone, because of HIS mercies, you are being carried. Let your heart rest on the promises of God, let HIM be your guide and you will see all HE can get you through.
If you want to read the story of Moses further, Deuteronomy is the third book of the Bible, you will see how God was with Moses to the very end.
How has God carried you lately? Please share encouraging stories in the comments section.
May your walk with Jesus this week be hand in hand. Thank you for your encouragement, please have a delightful week.
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