You Are Never Alone — That’s a Wrap!

Hey, friends! Well, here we are in recap week already! I don’t know about you, but You Are Never Alone has been a tremendous blessing to me. I’m already geared up for this week of re-watching all the videos and going through my study guide again for final notes to take with me. Are you doing the same? Videos will be available one more week so grab a plate of yummy Thanksgiving leftovers and get watching!

In this study, we learned:

• That God loves us and is with us in the normal day-to-day of our lives.
• His plans for us are better than our plans.
• Jesus understands our human suffering.
• To obey, especially when times get dark. Stay the course!
• Jesus is with us even when we face death.
• He will never, ever leave us!

The apostle John wrote his book so we could understand who Jesus is and love Him in return for His massive love.

John wrote down these miracles not to impress us, but to urge us believe in the presence of Christ. ~ Max

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

John “the beloved” knew that he was loved because He saw Jesus in action. He watched Him live a life of loving others, rescuing them from darkness, illness, lostness, and hopelessness time and time again. His miracles were acts of love to save, to rescue, to provide, and to even bring back to life!

God is… an ever-present help in trouble. — Psalm 46:1

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. — John 1:4-5

In the dark, you’re never really alone. ~ Max

How should we respond to a God who loves us that way? Trust and obey! In our day-to-day life, in hard times, in rejoicing, in dark times, in despair, and even when death comes to our door. Like the man sitting at the side of the pool at Bethesda (John 5:1-15), we can waiting for an answer for so long can feel permanent, like we just have to settle for the sadness, the illness, the long suffering. We don’t have to settle! God may answer our prayers quickly, or in due course, but believing in Jesus even in lengthy hard times is when we truly grow strong faith muscles.

Take Jesus at His word. Believe that He is good. Trust that He is able to answer our request. Acknowledge that He will do what is best is His own divine time. ~ Max

If despair comes calling, hang on to Jesus. Follow His lead. Obey His voice and His Word. In the jagged losses and desperate straits, keep believing. In the soaring highs, keep relying on Him. In dark times, like this crazy year when things feel harder. Meaner. Sadder, scarier, and definitely weirder, take your questions straight to Him. Take your failures to Him knowing He is full of forgiveness and grace.

God knows the way through the dark, so we must, we’ve got to follow!

Assume something good is going to happen. Set your sights on a new destination and begin moving forward. ~ Max

Yes, Lord… I have always believed that You are the Messiah, the Son of God, the One who has come into the world from God. — John 11:27

Jesus is the God of restoration. His question is Do you love Me? He sets His beloved on our feet again. On mission. With joy as our birthright!

Let’s look for Jesus in the storm. Let’s expect the unexpected. He will make all things right. Our debt is paid and we are going to Heaven!

And, in the meantime, we are never, ever alone.

Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. — Hebrews 13:5