Jesus is the image of a God always with us.
Emmanuel, if you will.
Jesus is the incarnation of the incredible love God has for humanity.
Jesus is the reminder that God will never leave us alone in the storm.
Jesus is the promise of hope for a greater future.
After Jesus ascended from the grave where he laid for three days, He did not ascend straight to heaven. Even after a painful, brutal, and humiliating death, the Son of God appeared to many people, walked with them, spoke with them, and continued to give hope. This was a display of incredible humility and unfathomable compassion.
This verse is the last words said by Jesus before He ascended to heaven, another reminder that even if His physical being was no longer walking beside them, they would still not be left alone. He promised to send another comforter, which was the Holy Spirit. He promised to give them power, confidence and authority through this Spirit to share the testimony of His life to the whole world.
This promise extends to us still today. This verse is a reminder that we worship a God who will never leave us or forsake us. The way He presents Himself to us may change. Sometimes we will see Him in the form of an encouraging friendship or a community of believers, but when that friend leaves, or you leave that community, God will still be with you. He is not bound by anything on this earth. He transcends the physical and encounters us in different ways in the spiritual, and we just have to allow His Spirit to overcome us.
We must pray for open eyes to see God working even when our circumstances change. We must pray for ears to hear what He is speaking in the whisper. He has not left you. He has not stopped speaking. He is leading you into a new era. He is taking you from Resurection to Pentecost. From Egypt to Israel. From shepherd to king, son to prophet. God’s power is displayed most powerfully in seasons of change and transition. Embrace the unknown and allow God to lead you through the wilderness. It will not be comfortable, and will certainly come with challenges, but God does not call us to be comfortable. He calls us to go and make disciples of all nations. He calls us to face our giants, to walk on water, to love radically and speak boldly.
So we can walk into the unknown and know that God has gone before us, so no matter where we are, we can trust in the power of His promise, that He is Emmanuel, God with us, and He has plans for us, plans. For a hope and a future, and in the center of that, plans to display His glory in all the earth.
Comentarios