“Be strong and bold; have no fear or dread of them, because it is the Lord your God who goes with you; he will not fail you or forsake you.”
- Deuteronomy 31:6
It’s always tricky getting back into the swing of things after a long break, especially for kids. So after a week of vacation, Lindsey and I anticipated our two eldest children needing a couple days to readjust to waking up early, spending all day at school, and having a reasonable bedtime.
What caught me by surprise was the reaction of our 2-year-old, Isaac, when I was headed out the door Sunday morning to get to church. Clinging to my pant leg and sobbing, he cried out repeatedly, “No, Daddy!!! No go church! No leave Ikey!” After a week of us being together all the time, he couldn’t stomach the idea of being separated from his daddy.
“Parting is such sweet sorrow,” Shakespeare wrote. Being away from those we love most is a hard pill to swallow, whether at age 2 or 102. And especially when you are the one being left behind, there is a sting to it, a feeling that you are being abandoned—that they are not leaving because they have to, but because they want to.
So one of the Bible’s most welcome promises is that God never leaves nor forsakes his children. On the brightest days, the Lord celebrates alongside us. In our darkest moments, he steadfastly remains with us. Nothing is compelling enough to tear him away, and nothing is powerful enough to separate us from his love.
“I am with you always, even to the end of the age,” Jesus assures us. He remains Emmanuel, God with us, today. And nothing you do or the world throws at you will change that.
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