I had never felt so alone. Traipsing through a Sydney suburb with my backpack lost in transit between Hong Kong and Australia, I was a stranger without friends or a change of clothes. Huddling down on the pavement, I rested my chin on my knees. A week before, I’d carefully packed all I might need for my extended travels. But that’s when I remembered I wasn’t alone. Closing my eyes, I focused my racing thoughts on the most important thing: God’s promised presence with me.
This promised presence is repeated throughout Scripture, and was given personally to Joshua: “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Joshua 1:5) after Moses, the Israelites’ great leader, died within reach of their new homeland (v. 1). God understood the fears and concerns that Joshua would feel in the light of his enormous responsibilities, repeatedly encouraging him to “Be strong and courageous” (vv. 6, 7, 9). For as Joshua chose God’s commands to direct his life, he too could be assured of God’s unfailing presence ( vv. 7–9).
We may feel alone when facing intense challenges: grieving a loved one, anxious about practical needs, or assuming new responsibilities. But God’s promise remains: “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (v. 9). As we receive this truth into our hearts and minds, it comforts and reassures us, diffusing fear.
By Anne Le Tissier
REFLECT & PRAY
When do you feel particularly alone or afraid? In what ways does God’s promised presence reassure you?
Faithful God, thank You for never leaving me, no matter what I face. I receive this reassuring truth as I picture myself placing my hand in Yours.
Reflect further with Where Is God When I Feel Lonely? at odb.org/resources
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
Joshua, a leader from the tribe of Ephraim, was one of the twelve spies Moses sent to survey the land of Canaan. Moses changed his name from Hoshea, meaning “salvation,” to Joshua, meaning “Jehovah is salvation” (Numbers 13:8, 16). He’d been Moses’ aide since his youth (Exodus 24:13; 33:11; Numbers 11:28; Joshua 1:1). God commended Joshua as one who followed Him wholeheartedly. And Joshua and Caleb were the only two persons who were twenty years old or more when they left Egypt who were permitted to enter the promised land ( Numbers 32:11-12). Even Moses wasn’t allowed to enter (Deuteronomy 3:23-29).
K. T. Sim
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