Jesus never forsakes us

Song of the Day: “I Am Not Alone,” Kari Jobe

“God doesn’t have visiting hours, neither does he sleep. He’s there whenever we need him.”

Sarah Christmyer, Becoming Women of the Word: How to Answer God’s Call with Purpose and Joy

A few years ago, I participated in a New Year’s challenge with a group of friends. Together, we committed to developing new habits in health, daily routines, and spiritual life. We threw some cash in a pot for the person who would eventually win the friendly competition.

I started out well, but, as we worked through each week’s challenge, I began struggling to keep up. I logged my successes in my journal, but the little squares without a check mark began to grow in number. I can argue that life was tough, but really I was slacking off. My energy and enthusiasm had waned. Even the cash prize at the end no longer tempted me much.

Everything changed, though, when the challenge required us to pair up with another competitor for the week. We were to check on each other’s progress and encourage each other to keep going. Worst of all (or best, depending on how you look at it!), our success would be dependent on the success of our partner that week. If you skipped out on the work, you didn’t just let yourself down. You let your friend down as well.

I’m so grateful that our relationship with God doesn’t work like this. Aren’t you? When we fall, he picks us up. When we fail, he compensates for our weakness. “God doesn’t have visiting hours,” Sarah Christmyer tells us. He’s always clocked into his job. Better yet, all of our efforts don’t mean the difference between success and failure. His sufficiency covers everything.

The psalmist talks about how fleeting his life is, and we grieving folk nod our heads in understanding. We know the frailty of this life. What a gift, then, that we are not left alone. We are partnered in life’s challenges with the omniscient, omnipotent God who has covered all of our sins in Jesus and has given us his strength to face each day.

If grief has left you dragging lately, recommit to walking beside Jesus today. He’s the best partner you’ll ever find.