Words from the Rock
No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.
John 14:18–20 NLT
One of the greatest fears of small children is to lose their parents. Whether it be through death, abandonment, kidnapping, or whatever, young children do not want to be left parentless. Of course, this changes as kids grow older, and some teenagers might even act like they’d be perfectly fine without any parental influence. Although they probably know deep down that they still need a safe place to live and someone to watch out for them.
But what if the stakes are much higher for children than simply being sure that they’ll have a roof over their heads, food on the table, and clothes to wear? What if the stakes are life and death . . . heaven and hell? That’s what Jesus is talking about. He knows that his earthly life is about to end and that his disciples will feel like lost children when he’s taken from them. Sure, they may be grown men and able to care for themselves when it comes to their earthly needs, but what about their spiritual needs? By now they know and respect Jesus as the Son of God. They understand that he is living water to their thirsty souls, the bread of life for their deepest hunger, and the key to the kingdom of heaven. What will they do without him?
Jesus assures his disciples that even though it might appear he’s gone, he’s not. He promises to show himself to them—and to us. He promises that he’ll always be a part of us and we’ll always be a part of him. We will never be spiritual orphans; we will never be abandoned. He will always be there, ready to provide for our spiritual necessities. That’s his promise, and we can hold on to it until the end of time.
My Prayer
Dear God,
Thank you for the promise that you will never leave or abandon me. Please remind me of that when I feel lonely—remind me that you’re still with me.
Amen.
Final Word
Christ gives meaning to your life, and when he appears, you will also appear with him in glory.
Colossians 3:4 CEV
Stone for the Journey
Jesus will never abandon me.