"Never Alone"

Loneliness is such a discouraging feeling. Whether you feel like an outsider or are literally alone, it can still hurt. I think this emotion strikes the core of who we are. Humans were created to live in communities; no one is meant to go through life alone. Deep within all of us we have a desire to have a place to call our own where we are loved for who we are.

When I was younger, I fell in love with The Door Within trilogy. It had a medieval setting and a story full of knights and conquests, kings and castles, good and evil. I can trace the majority of my dreams that include swords or dragons back to these books. I have read and re-read each book in the series many times. The reason why I liked these books so much was because they contained many parallels to the Great Story, the story of how our God engages his people. The Door Within Series were not only a source of entertainment for me, but also encouragement. Knights in the story would fight in the name of their king, who was good and loving and somehow able to help them even if he wasn't with them. The people of the kingdom loved their king and trusted him even when they didn't understand him. 

Although I learned many lessons about life and our true King through this series, there was a phrase that always stood out to me. The characters would say it often when they were discouraged or scared or in danger. It was a simple phrase: "Never alone." These words were whispered by characters facing evil, seemingly alone. These words were  shouted by companies of knights facing impossible odds. It gave them supernatural courage and strengthened their trust in the goodness of their king. This phrase has stayed with me for many years. 

"Never alone."

Our God makes us the same promise to his people through Jesus in Matthew 28:20. 

"…And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (NLT)  These words of Jesus were the very last thing Matthew recorded in his book. Jesus was leaving them in flesh so that the Holy Spirit could come and live within all followers of Christ. Deuteronomy 31:6 says "Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you." (NLT)

God is with us! His Holy Spirit is in us, guiding us and helping us. There is no situation in our lives we face alone. We can't always trust our feelings. That is why we need faith. Take God at his word, and know that you are never alone.

The other way God demonstrates His presence with us is through our Christian communities. God calls us all as believers to be unified, to encourage each other, and to be a support group. Since churches are made up out of other humans who mess up, our church communities can occasionally leave us still feeling alone. 

The Apostle Paul addressed unity within the Church throughout his letters. "I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind united in thought and purpose." (1 Corinthians 1:10 NLT); "Love each other with genuine affection and take delight in honoring each other." (Romans 12:10 NLT); "May God, who gives patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for the followers of Christ Jesus. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 15:5-6 NLT). Verses like these go on and on. God intended His people to care for one another and to act as one.

Take comfort in the knowledge that our God loves us fiercely and will never leave us. He has shown us in so many ways that He is here. "Don't you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?" (1 Corinthians 3:16 NLT)