PRINCIPLE: “When you think it’s only you, think again.”
I am blessed not only because my wife is an outstanding nurse, but she also loves and cares for me in outstanding ways. For many years I was susceptible to fainting spells – I would faint with no warning or no chance to react. As a result, Barb would often make extra check ups on me. If, for example, I was showering and dropped the soap, upon hearing the thud she would be there in a flash to be sure it wasn’t me making the thud. So I always felt extra safe when she was around; I knew I wasn’t alone. Her loving nature, evidenced in her seeking me out and checking up on me, gave me a stronger sense of security.
I’ve thought about this security often. In fact, I’ve come to recognize that the same extra security is ours because of God’s love and nature. Whenever we begin to think we’re all alone somewhere, or doing something all alone, or that we’ve stepped out of God’s presence because of our sinful nature, or that we are helpless to make some major decision, we need to remember “When you think it’s only you, think again.” God’s loving nature is such that He is always seeking us, coming to us, running to us. He came to Adam & Eve after they had sinned, to offer grace and protection. He came to Noah to offer safety and life. He came to Abraham to offer a future. He came to Joseph to offer a kingdom and an opportunity to save His people. He came to an infant Moses to spare his life and to an adult Moses to call and empower him to free God’s people. He came to Daniel and saved him for greater things by shutting the lion’s mouths. He came to all the prophets to enlist them to be His word to the world. He came to Mary to make her the mother of His Son. He came to Jesus to affirm that He was His beloved Son in whom he was well pleased. On God’s behalf, Jesus came to seek and save the lost – in doing so He came to person after person with healing, forgiveness, and new life. God came to Jesus in the tomb and raised Him up to be the first-fruit of those who die. He came to thousands on Pentecost to fill them with His Spirit and to live within them. And Jesus says He is coming again soon. Such is the loving nature of God.
Whenever we think we’re all alone, or something is only about us, it’s not. Whenever we think we’re on our own, we’re not. Whenever we think we’ve stepped outside God’s presence, we haven’t. Whenever we think we have to make a decision all alone, we don’t. Whenever we think there will be no one to help us, there is. “When you think it’s only you, think again.” Through Ezekiel the prophet God said (34:11-16), “I myself will search for my sheep and look after them…I will search for the lost and bring back the strays, I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak…” In Luke 15 Jesus points to Himself as the One sent by God to seek, sweep, search for, and run to us to bind us up, heal us, bring us back home and strengthen us. And He’ll come with no warning, before we have a chance to react! It’s His nature and His love.
So we are never forsaken, never alone. “When you think it’s only you, think again.” Claim the words of Isaiah 43:1-5 (Good News Translation) – “Do not be afraid – I will save you. I have called you by name – you are mine. When you pass through deep waters, I will be with you; your troubles will not overwhelm you. When you pass through fire, you will not be burned; the hard trials that come will not hurt you…Do not be afraid – I am with you!” “When you think it’s only you, think again.”