Orphaned

¹⁸ “I won’t leave you as orphans. I will come to you. ¹⁹ Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Because I live, you will live too. ²⁰ On that day you will know that I am in my Father, you are in me, and I am in you. ²¹ Whoever has my commandments and keeps them loves me. Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.” ²² Judas (not Judas Iscariot) asked, “Lord, why are you about to reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” ²³ Jesus answered, “Whoever loves me will keep my word. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. ²⁴ Whoever doesn’t love me doesn’t keep my words. The word that you hear isn’t mine. It is the word of the Father who sent me. ²⁵ “I have spoken these things to you while I am with you. ²⁶ The Companion, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I told you. ²⁷ “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you. I give to you not as the world gives. Don’t be troubled or afraid. ²⁸ You have heard me tell you, ‘I’m going away and returning to you.’ If you loved me, you would be happy that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than me. ²⁹ I have told you before it happens so that when it happens you will believe. ³⁰ I won’t say much more to you because this world’s ruler is coming. He has nothing on me. ³¹ Rather, he comes so that the world will know that I love the Father and do just as the Father has commanded me. Get up. We’re leaving this place. (John 14:18-31, CEB)

Jesus is telling the disciples that they will soon be the only ones who can see him. Because the world isn’t ready to see his revelation. And he wanted them, and us, to know that even though the world would say he is not here, he is still here. God is always with us and we are never alone. Even when the world will leave us behind, God will always be with us.

And when the anxiety of the world boils up and seems to make the world around us black, God is always with us to give a peace that the world doesn’t understand.

I remember that I started doing these daily devotionals in early 2012. It was when I had resigned my call and was looking for the next call. Little did I know then that it would take me almost 2 years to find that next call. But I was focused and knew that God was with me. I wrote these devotionals for the world, but also to remind myself that God is always with us. even in what seems the darkest times, God will never leave us orphaned.

God is always with us. Love the world like God loves you.

Love People. Love God.