Good morning people who are never abandoned by your heavenly Father.

John 16:29-32 NIV Then Jesus’ disciples said, “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.” “Do you now believe?” Jesus replied. “A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.”

This is interesting.

On one hand, Jesus uttered the words, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46). This is the reality of how Jesus felt in this most horrifying and tragic of times. He felt abandoned.

But He wasn’t. Jesus prophetically declared that even those His disciples would leave Him, His Father was still with Him.

I almost feel choked up now as I consider the realities that some of you are going through. Maybe your life is nothing like you thought it would be. Maybe heart break has overridden any sense of joy. Maybe hopelessness has replaced hope.

Maybe you feel like your heavenly Father has forsaken you. Maybe you feel like He has abandoned you.

I can’t imagine your pain, but I do know that your heavenly Father has not left you alone.

And so I sincerely pray for you today. I pray that you may encounter the love, the grace, the kindness and the nearness of God, even in the valley of the shadow of death – He is present even there.