. . . God has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." Hebrews 13:5b
Is it hard for you to figure out who is your friend and who is your enemy?
That was certainly the case for some of the British units who were stationed in Africa at the outbreak of World War I. The orders sent to them read like this: "War declared. Arrest all enemy aliens in your district."
The War Ministry got back this reply from people in the field: "We have arrested ten Germans, six Belgians, four Frenchmen, two Italians, three Austrians, and an American. Please advise immediately with whom are we at war. . . ."
Yes, sometimes it's hard to figure out who are your friends and who are your enemies.
It can be confusing when someone who is your friend today can be your betrayer tomorrow, when someone who is loyal on Wednesday can forsake you on Thursday.
Thankfully, our relationship with the Lord is made up of better stuff than is our fellowship with each other. Scripture points out that Christians have in Jesus a God who is a constant, unchangeable Friend.
He's not going to disappear or desert us when things get difficult.
On the contrary, it is precisely during such times that the Lord expresses a desire to draw us closer to Him.
Now, it's quite possible you may be feeling down today because a friend, a family member, an institution, a congregation, or a government has let you down.
If so, I'd like you to think upon Jesus.
Through His passion, His suffering and sacrifice, His death and resurrection, the Savior has shown the integrity of His commitment. Because of what He has done, because of His promise to never leave or forsake us, we can move into the unknown future with a Friend.
From a devotion originally written for "By the Way"
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, too often I rely on others to fill the place in my life which should belong only to You. Help me forgive those who have let me down, and grant me forgiveness for doing the same to others. Finally, fill my heart with thankfulness for Your consistent grace and constant love. In Jesus' Name, I ask it. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker emeritus of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Today's Bible Readings: 2 Samuel 2-5 John 1:1-28
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