The God Who’s Here

READ: PSALMS 23; 46; MATTHEW 10:29-31; EPHESIANS 1:3 Though I walk through darkest valleysIn the shadows of my fearI can hold my head up highbecause I know You’re hereThe sparrows do not worryThey’re not afraid, they do not stressBecause the Lord cares for themSo, His children are certainly blessedWhen mountains fall and earth gives wayWe can have peace of mindWe have a fortress and refugeAs strong as any can findWe don’t need to wanderOur Shepherd won’t let us fallWe are secure, we have a homeHis arms open to us all • Elizabeth Blanton • Because the world has been broken by sin, we all feel afraid and anxious sometimes. Jesus Himself experienced deep distress before going to the cross (Matthew 26:36-46). But Jesus died and rose again to defeat sin and all its effects—including fear, worry, and anxiety. He will return one day to restore creation and raise us from the dead, establishing His rule and reign of perfect peace. In the meantime, He promises to always be with us, feeling our hurts with us and giving us His peace and strength even in the midst of difficulty (Matthew 1:23; 28:20). Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that we are never alone, because He is the God who’s here. • When you feel worried or afraid, who are trusted Christians in your life who can remind you of Jesus’s presence with you? For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)