Never Alone

Never Alone

Hello! I want to take you on a picture walk  in Glacier National Park. I tried to make the pictures small enough so they will load quickly. But, if you want only the devotion without the pictures, then you can click here.

 Our goal was Glacier Lake in Glacier National Park.

It was a glorious trail through a thick canopy of red cedars. Some of my favorite trees on the planet.

The light that filtered through the trees kissed the tiny emerald mosses that regally carpeted fat boulders all along the trail.

 

Our path wound past and sometimes beside a swift, thundering mountain stream that created background music for our 3 mile mountain hike. Our chatter silenced the birds, but as we grew winded from the climb the sounds of song birds and chirps filled our silence.

A young moose deer foraged fearlessly in the thick bushes that grew beside the swift waters. We all grabbed our camera and snapped pictures furiously. I know that deer was thinking, “What’s wrong with you guys? Never seen a deer before?”

Gurgling waters of tiny streams and the roaring white water announced their presence long before we could see their spectacular beauty.

And yes, I include the tiny streams deliberately in my description of spectacular beauty because I stopped to enjoy the beauty of the white fungus and ferns that grew there.

The return trip was mostly downhill so the group moved swiftly along the trail. Everyone except Wayne and I.

Maybe those frequents stops is why Lee slowed his pace to walk with us.

We were older than most of the group, so he wanted to be sure we were ok. Lee is that kind of man. It didn’t take him long to realize that my frequent stops were the the cause for the delay. But he didn’t rush us. He didn’t grow inpatient.

He stopped with us. Again and again, he waited for me to take a picture or look at the texture of a stump or a red something growing on a tree.

He walked with us.

He didn’t hurry us. He just walked with us.

Let’s stop while I tell you why I took you with me on this walk through the thick forest to Glacier Lake.
Yes, it is a beautiful walk and the teacher in me always wants to share my acquired knowledge with people.

I’m so child-like when I’m walking through the woods. I want to see every little thing. The texture of the trees, the boulders, the smells, the sounds.

But I stopped at this crook in our walk together to point out…a truth that I have missed again and again as I have studied The Great Commission. I memorized it as a child in Girl’s Ministries. It’s all about the “Go!” “Make!” Or at least that’s what I’ve always seen. But there’s more to that commission.

When Jesus commissioned His followers in Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus closed “His Great Commission” with a powerful truth that we need to grasp!

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19, 20 Berean Study Bible

He said, “I am with you.” He wasn’t sending them to do life or ministry alone.

He emphasized “Surely, I am with you.” I hear Him saying, “I want you to know  with certainty  that I am with you!”

He wants to walk with us…you and me.
Through beautiful places…
though hard places.

Jesus is not a fair weather friend.

He doesn’t run off when we cry.
Or when we sin.
or when we stumble.

Oh yes, that’s the best part of walking with Him; when I stumble He gives me the grace and strength to get back up. He doesn’t laugh at my silliness or ineptness. He loves me too much for that.

• He corrects.
• He guides.
• He comforts.
• He heals.

I’ve discovered if I walk with Him through beautiful places, I’m quicker to recognize and respond to His presence in difficult places.

The timeless one. The Great I Am. The all sufficient one walks with us because He wants to be with us!

He was telling them what to do, but not the how. The how would come from walking with Him.
The how would come out of relationship with Him.

I get it! I really do.

God had a big, big job for His disciples to accomplish. He still does.

But if we believe the commission part,

don’t we need to believe and embrace the “I am with you” part too?

We can’t afford to miss this part!

That’s the critical part. Because without Him, we can’t do anything. He’s the one that enables us to be and do and live.

Yes! There are great things that God wants us to do and we need to be diligent to use our talents…
But everything…everything we do…

needs to flow out of our relationship with Him.

God bless you dear friend! Never forget…you are not alone! God is with you!

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