Never Alone

READ: JOSHUA 1:9; ISAIAH 41:10; JOHN 14:16-20; ROMANS 8:35-39

“Bye!” I called to my parents. As they walked down the hall to leave, I ducked into the college dorm room where I would live for the next five days.

At the end of seventh grade, I tried out for drum major of my middle school marching band. After our band director chose me for the position, I received a brochure in the mail. It advertised a weeklong summer band camp at a nearby university.

I begged my parents for permission to go, and they agreed. Even though I would be the only student from my school at this camp, I didn’t feel nervous about being on my own. I knew I could count on having a roommate.

But when I arrived, I discovered the roommate assigned to me hadn’t shown up.

I’ll be alone all week! I thought.

As I sat in the bare-walled room, I wondered, If the Lord made me brave enough to come to this camp by myself, would He really abandon me to get through it all alone?

Later, I walked to the lobby, hoping to find another girl who needed a friend.

Then I spotted somebody I knew—the drum major for the high school in my town. Laurie had coached me for my tryouts earlier that spring. She introduced me to some girls with her, and they became my band camp friends. I never ate one meal alone that week.

God provided for me that summer. And this experience is one of the things that helped me learn that, if God loved me so much He would die and rise again so I could have life, I could trust Him to always meet my needs (Philippians 4:10-20).

And if I hadn’t found those girls in the lobby that day? God still would have been with me. Because of Jesus, I am never alone (Matthew 28:20). •Allison Wilson Lee

• Can you think of a time you felt alone, but then you realized God was providing for you? Did He bring you a friend—or did you simply rest in His presence?

• Consider taking some time to reread today’s Scripture slowly. How could remembering that Jesus—God in human flesh—came to die in our place help us trust that He’ll meet all our needs?

• Is there an area of your life where God might be inviting you to step out in courage, even if you don’t know how He is going to provide for you yet? Consider taking a moment to talk to Him about this.

For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” Hebrews 13:5 (NLT)