NEVER FEAR! HE IS WITH HIS CHILDREN! HAVE FAITH!!!

Submitted by: Lady Byrd

With You to the End!  

By Jerry D. Scott

 When our daughters were little, on occasion one of them would appear at our bedside in the middle of the night crying, "I had a bad dream." She would then crawl up between Bev and me and snuggle in. In a matter of minutes (usually seconds) she would be sleeping again, comforted by the presence of her parents. I would then carry her back to her own bed. In the morning, she usually did not even remember her midnight distress.

Even as an adult, I know this "presence of another" phenomenon. In a situation where I would be afraid to walk alone, I feel no fear when accompanied by another.

When Jesus was about to return to the Father, He issued a commission and gave a promise of presence to His disciples and, by extension, to us.

"Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:19,20, NIV).

We need never walk alone or fearfully, but it is easier to write of living in the presence of God than it is to actually do it! He is faithful always; we are not! If you are weary, drained, and afraid, do not believe the lie that God has forsaken you. He does not move from us. Quiet your mind today. Make time to be worshipful.

If temptation is lurking, thank the Holy Spirit for His power in you that allows you to resist and rise above it. Take a simple passage of the Word and meditate on it. Wait patiently for the Lord.

"How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of Heaven's Armies. I long, yes, I faint with longing to enter the courts of the Lord. With my whole being, body and soul, I will shout joyfully to the living God. ... A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else! I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked" (Psalm 84:1,2,10, NLT).

-- Jerry D. Scott is senior pastor at Faith Discovery Church  in Washington, N.J.