Never alone – Reflections from a Favorite Scripture

"I will never leave you nor forsake you….Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." ~Joshua 1:5, 9

Preparing lunches for work.

Washing dishes.

Sweeping the floor.

Doing some ab workouts.

Normal activities of life.

Just going about my evening routine.

 

Then I glance out the window and my routine comes to a halt. The sun is slipping beyond the horizon. The sky is painted a rainbow of colors broken only by a few clouds. A building in the distance, a church perhaps, is lit by the fading light of day. The glowing tower stands out against the dark trees surrounding it. There's a window near the top of the tower that reflects the splash of colors painting the sky.

A 180 degree turn reveals a breathtaking view. The clouds are a brilliant pink. Various hues of orange and yellow grace the rest of the horizon. As the clouds begin to glow with hints of purple, my attention is brought back to the luminous tower. The glow begins to fade as the sun continues its descent.

 

And then my mind drifts to the Christian life and how, at times, we might feel like that tower. Surrounded by darkness, that is lost people, we "glow" with the radiance of Christ. We have a passion, a glow, to share our faith. As time passes, though, we may feel like the darkness presses in...our glow, our passion begins to wane. Challenging circumstances may surround us and leave us stumbling in confusion. We may feel alone, abandoned or even defeated.

 

When we experience the "night", it's vital that we hold on to the Truth: the Son always shines.

 

At times, we seem to lose our ability to see Him - perhaps because of our sin or trials that we experience or we're distracted by the busyness of life. We strain our eyes, trying to peer through the darkness, wondering how He could have left us.

 

And then the dawn comes. The tower doesn't reflect a fading light nor is it consumed by darkness. Instead it bathes in the full strength of the sun.

 

So too our dawn will come.

 

As we face the place where His light seemed to fade from our lives, we may get wrapped up in what was or what used to be.

 

Don't miss the coming of the dawn.

Turn your eyes to the Son.

 

You have to take your eyes off of what was and set them on the One who is and always will be. Weeping may endure for the night but joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5). God's promise to Joshua remains true for us today, "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Joshua 1:5). And then a few verses later, He commands, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go" (Joshua 1:9). That's a promise worth clinging to!

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