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Matthew 28:20 "I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Note: What a wonderful comforting promise that is. To know regardless of what I must face in life I am never alone, Jesus is always with me. Life is filled with a mixture of emotions, many of which are harmful, like fear, anxiety, frustration, anger, and bitterness. These are just a few of the negative emotions we experience in life and I think it is safe to say, they result in our being less healthy and less satisfied. Some of the positive emotions we experience that add to our physical and spiritual well-being are laughter, joy, happiness, contentment, satisfaction, healthy relationships and the number one emotion, the most important one of all, love. The love we share with family and friends is important, but the love we share with Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, is the most important love of all.

The love of Jesus can bring you through the hard times, especially the hard times of the “unexpected.” Even though Jesus had told his disciples that he was going to die they did not fully understand what he was trying to tell them. His arrest and crucifixion was totally unexpected and when it occurred they were devastated. Their recognition of Jesus as the Messiah, the Promised One, crumbled before their eyes. Their dreams and plans for the future of the Kingdom of God here on the earth seemed destroyed. Their teacher, mentor, Savior and friend was dead. But then, as God often does, an “unexpected” miracle happened. Over the next several days they discovered they had not been abandoned, Jesus was alive!  They were not left on their own, they were not alone. They would discover that He was still with them as much as He had always been, only in a different way.

He first appeared to two followers on the road to Emmaus. He came to a meeting the disciples were having in the upper room. He later appeared to His disciples on the shores of Galilee and ate breakfast with them. He appeared to a crowd of over 500 on another occasion. Jesus was making a visible statement to them. Even though things had changed, He was with them and would always be with them in Spirit. They would continue to have the assurance and blessing of His life giving presence.

This was something new. Nothing like this had ever been possible before. The Spiritual presence of Jesus would teach them a new way of relating to God and it would be the way of FAITH (1 Jn 3:24). They would live by faith in the same way Jesus did while He lived among them. It didn’t matter they could no longer see Him in the flesh, they could now see Him with their spiritual eyes and His presence would be just as powerful and comforting. He would continue to walk and talk with them, as His Spirit empowered them to teach the lost and touch the sick and dying in His Name. He continues to want all who are sin-sick to come to Him for forgiveness, healing, redemption, and eternal life. Their commitment to doing the work of ministry is the ultimate evidence of His abiding presence with them. Jesus has set them free from the power of sin, enabling them to live lives of righteousness to the glory of God. His power to save, to keep and to serve emanates from His presence, His ever abiding presence through the Holy Spirit.

Word from the Lord: Beloved, if you are in Me, I am in you, there is nothing you and I cannot handle together. I will never leave you or forsake you. That’s a promise and I always keep My promises.    

Did the Lord speak to you today?  Why not write it down and claim it for His Glory.

Prayer:  What do you need to pray to the Lord today? Listen to your heart. He loves you!