Matthew 28:20 “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Sometimes we read the Great Commission and think we have to do it on our own. Nothing could be further from the truth! Not only do we not have to do it, we couldn’t possibly do it on our own. Jesus never gave instructions that He didn’t also enable, but we forget that all too often. Personal responsibility is there, yes, but the power is supplied by God. As Isaiah said so famously, it is those who wait expectantly on God who find their strength is renewed. (Isaiah 40:31) That passage is generally translated “wait on the Lord” in English, but the NIV renders it “hope in the Lord.” That is because English lacks an expression that Japanese shares with Hebrew that means, “wait in hope,” or “wait expectantly.” Just waiting passively, or out of resignation, doesn’t do much good! We need to remember the many passages like this one that assure us God has not forgotten us, much less dumped us by the wayside. When God is with us, what do we have to be afraid of? Saints through the ages have discovered the joy and comfort of God’s presence in circumstances that would otherwise have been unbearable, and they have received victory on the other side of those circumstances. That gives real assurance!

I have experienced this many times, but I still have moments of forgetting it. My major trials have all been in relation to other people, which has tended to make me focus on people – myself or the other people involved – rather than on God. That’s not a good idea! I need to remember that Jesus is always with me by His Spirit, not with any trace of pride but with great peace and comfort. The source of my trials is often within me, in some area the Lord is trying to correct, and I have to recognize and confess that. However, that doesn’t mean God has left me. That’s a truth I need both to remember and to communicate to others, because we all experience such trials.

Father, thank You for what we’re walking through right now, and that You are right here in the middle of it. Help me listen to You and make the changes You indicate, growing as You intend, for my own sake and especially for the sake of the Body of Christ, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!