He will never leave you

The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.  Deuteronomy 31:8

When my son Zach started Kindergarten this fall, his teacher gave me a questionnaire to fill out about him.  It listed things like his siblings, his favorite foods and toys, and what chores he does at home.  It also asked what his fears are.  Now Zach is one of the most fearless people in our house.  Ethan knows that he can get his little brother to try anything.  But Zach does have one big fear.

Being left alone.

He's always hated being alone, from the very beginning of his life.  He'd be in his infant bouncy seat, happy as a clam, and if we'd all go into another room, he'd cry and cry until we brought him in with us.  If he's looking at a toy at a store and won't leave to come with me, all I have to say is, "Bye, Zach."  Immediately he's plastered by my side, begging me not to leave him.  He even frets when Ethan is at a sleepover, because he's so used to sharing a room with Ethan.  He doesn't like to be alone.

I really can't blame him.  I don't like to be alone either.  It's during hard times in my life when I feel the most alone.  Do you feel that way too?  It just seems like there's no one to help--and God Himself seems so very far away.  There are times when it feels like He doesn't even hear my prayers, let alone listen to them.

Thanks be to Jesus that is never true for us, though.  God will never leave us, even if we aren't deserving of that attention.  While Jesus hung on the cross, God did leave him.  God took His presence away from Jesus, so we'd never have to be separated from Him.  Because of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, we are forever connected to God.

So the reality of the situation is that Zach--and all of us, of course--are never alone.  Even when life is at it's darkest, God will not leave us.  He is always there.

Dear Heavenly Father, No one likes to be alone.  It's easy to feel like You've left us, especially when life is handing us hard times.  We thank You for sending Your Son, so that we're never separated from you.  Thank you, Lord, for always being with us.  Amen.