Recently, I have been on a tangent of thinking back to the year 1978. (I have shared in several settings that the 40^th anniversary of my high school graduation is this year, 2018, and so I have been traveling a bit on memory lane.)

I still have two of the Bibles I read from in 1978. And one of the scriptures that I marked in those books is Matthew 28:20.

I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
Matthew 28:20

To me, that’s one of the most significant promises to come from the lips of our Lord. The disciples had walked with Jesus for three years. They had left their homes, their careers, in some cases their families, so that they could live His life. They had made a choice to be with Him, and after His death and resurrection, Jesus promised to be with them.

I have long counted on that promise.

Back in 1978, I spent a fair amount of time listening to rock music. Where the lyrics weren’t always what one might call spiritual, some of the words to some of the songs have lingered in my mind and challenged me to think a little more deeply on a subject. One such line that most of you probably don’t remember, said: “I may be lonely, but I’m never alone.”

That truth has been reinforced for me over the years with the promise of our Lord in the last line of Matthew’s gospel.

Sometimes in life, I find that I am all by myself, but I’m not alone. I am glad that all I have to do is remember what Jesus told the disciples and gain peace and comfort from His presence.

I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
Matthew 28:20

To me, that’s still one of the most significant promises to come from the lips of our Lord.

Prayer

Wonderful God, I may be lonely at times in my life, but I am never alone. Thanks for your promise of a constant presence, through my Lord and Savior Jesus, in whose name I pray. Amen.