Never Alone

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:38–39

It is easy to shift from our secure foundation in Christ when life is not going as planned and we face difficult decisions. We do all the right things—pray, worship, seek wise counsel—but God doesn’t seem to respond. The silence seems more acute when we are expecting to hear something so that we can move forward, and we don’t. Often, we move confidently through life, making decisions because we feel sure-footed. We might not be even trying to hear God’s voice or see God’s hand. But when we are looking for direction from him and don’t see it, we recognize the silence and believe we are alone.

But we are never alone. How do we know? God promised several times in the Bible that he will never leave us or forsake us. God has assured us of his faithful presence. We might go through situations that make us feel like we are alone, but we must remember what Scripture says and choose to believe what God has already told us. This is part of the faith journey. Despite what we see, feel, or hear, we rely on what Scripture tells us, trusting that God knows where we are and what we are experiencing.

We are never alone, because nothing can separate us from the love of God: not depression, not sadness, not loneliness, not days in isolation, not over-sleeping, not anxiety, and not any diagnosis. We always have God’s presence. We never walk alone.

God, who is everywhere, never leaves us. Yet he seems sometimes to be present, sometimes to be absent. If we do not know him well, we do not realize that he may be more present to us when he is absent than when he is present.

Thomas Merton

Your presence fills every space of a heart that seeks to find; your love is here to save us and your name is love defined.

Lisa Mischelle Wood

Having the reality of God’s presence is not dependent on our being in a particular circumstance or place, but is only dependent on our determination to keep the Lord before us continually.

Oswald Chambers

For Further Reflection

Psalm139:7; Matthew 1:23; Joshua 1:9; Isaiah 43:2

Today’s Prayer

God, I thank you that you are always by my side. Please forgive me for the times that I assumed you left me and took matters into my own hands. Amen.