I Am Not Alone - Revisited Again

Here it is a Wednesday, the middle of the week, and I honestly had nothing new to share with  you. Then I was reading a few of our friends' posts, and there was more than one mention of  "being alone", or "feeling alone", and I thought to myself, "I wonder how many others are out there with feelings of loneliness or who are currently going through a difficult time and feeling like they are alone in their struggles."  I have a feeling there are more than just a few.  We all go through those times, when we are literally alone, or when we may feel alone even though there may be many people around.  We may feel like we don't belong, or that no one really cares whether I live or die. My friend, if you find yourself having these kinds of feelings, first of all, please don't isolate yourself completely. Reach out to someone...even if it's someone here in blogland. We may not be physically close, but we are close in spirit and heart, and there are many here who will be more than happy to pray with you, listen to your fears or concerns, and may even have some words of wisdom and encouragement to share with you. But most of all, reach out to God and tell Him about your concerns and pain. It is amazing how much prayer helps when we take our needs to the Lord and leave them there. I have included many scripture verses in this post of hope and faith and promise and how much God cares for you. Please take the time to read through this and perhaps even save the verses for future reference. You personally may not feel the need for this right now, but there may come a time when you will...or you may know someone who needs to hear this message...so please share it.  And may you know beyond a doubt that you are not alone, because The Father is with you.

Previously posted on 4/9/2020, during the "pandemic":  Sharing this post again...perhaps there is someone out there who needs to hear this message today, especially during this time of "social distancing" and isolation.

May you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are not alone..."the Father is with me"...

"And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me."

John 16:32b

The above drawing used to hang in my husband's study when he was serving as a pastor.  I drew this for him years ago after seeing this same picture on a card that someone had sent to us...so I can't take full credit for the idea...but it struck me so strongly that I had to duplicate it for a constant reminder that God would be with him through all the difficult days and times of searching for answers from God's Word to share with God's people.

Perhaps there is someone reading this today who needs to be reminded that you are not alone...because the Father IS with you...always!  How do we know this?  Because His Word promises...and God never goes back on His Word:

"Be strong and of good courage,

Do not fear nor be afraid of them;

For the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you.

He will not leave you nor forsake you."

Deuteronomy 31:6

"And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you.

He will be with you,

He will not leave you nor forsake you;

Do not fear nor be dismayed."

Deuteronomy 31:8

"Fear not, for I AM with you;

Be not dismayed, for I Am your God.

I will strengthen you,

Yes, I will help you,

I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."

Isaiah 41:10

"Where can I go from Your Spirit?

Or where can I flee from Your Presence?

If I ascend into heaven, You are there;

If I make my bed in hell,

behold, You are there.

If I take the wings of the morning,

and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

Even there Your hand shall lead me,

and Your right hand shall hold me.

If I say, 'Surely the darkness shall fall on me,'

Even the night shall be light about me;"

Psalm 139:7-11

Jesus tells His disciples the following promise just before His departure from this earth into heaven...which is for all of us who bear His Name:

"Lo, I Am with you ALWAYS, even to the end of the age."

Matthew 28:20

Also Jesus promises to send us a helper...a comforter:

"And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, 

that he may abide with you forever..

the Spirit of truth,

whom the world cannot receive, 

because it neither sees Him nor knows Him;

but you know Him,

for He dwells with you and will be in you.

I will not leave you orphans; 

I will come to you..."

John 14:16-18

So, my friends, if you are feeling all alone in your battle with grief, disease, disappointments, tragedies and anxieties...if you cannot feel Christ's Presence in your life, I encourage you to claim these promises above for yourself today.  Rest in His loving arms, knowing that He is with you and will never leave you or forsake you.

There is a song that came to my mind while writing this that I would like to share with you...perhaps you've heard it...or maybe it will be new to you.  Click on this link to the song "Just Be Held" by Casting Crowns.    

Here are the lyrics:

"Just Be Held"  by Casting Crowns

Hold it all together
Everybody needs you strong
But life hits you out of nowhere
And barely leaves you holding on

And when you're tired of fighting
Chained by your control
There's freedom in surrender
Lay it down and let it go

So when you're on your knees and answers seem so far away
You're not alone, stop holding on and just be held
Your world's not falling apart, it's falling into place
I'm on the throne, stop holding on and just be held
Just be held, just be held

If your eyes are on the storm
You'll wonder if I love you still
But if your eyes are on the cross
You'll know I always have and I always will

And not a tear is wasted
In time, you'll understand
I'm painting beauty with the ashes
Your life is in My hands

So when you're on your knees and answers seem so far away
You're not alone, stop holding on and just be held
Your worlds not falling apart, its falling into place
I'm on the throne, stop holding on and just be held
Just be held, just be held

Lift your hands, lift your eyes
In the storm is where you'll find Me
And where you are, I'll hold your heart
I'll hold your heart
Come to Me, find your rest
In the arms of the God who won't let go

So when you're on your knees and answers seem so far away
You're not alone, stop holding on and just be held
Your worlds not falling apart, its falling into place
I'm on the throne, stop holding on and just be held (stop holding on and just be held)
Just be held, just be held, just be held, just be held

So, no matter what you are going through right now, my prayer for you is that you will remember that you are never alone...God is with you always...and now, lay back into His loving arms and "Just Be Held".

"Peace I leave with you,

My peace I give to you;

not as the world gives do I give to you.

Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid..."

Words of Jesus, 

The Gospel of John 14:27

The Secret Garden Chronicles - I Keep Repeating Myself-But I Am Not Alone!

Well dear friends out in blogland...Thank you for your kind comments on yesterday's post, "Sheltered and Protected:"  (Seen in this link: ) http://pamelasopenwindow.blogspot.com/2017/03/the-secret-garden-chronicles-sheltered.html

Apparently this is a message that the Lord wanted us to hear again...because after I posted it, I realized that I had just posted a very similar message in January from the Secret Garden: (seen in this next link:) http://pamelasopenwindow.blogspot.com/2017/01/the-secret-garden-chronicles-day-6-he.html


And then, on further examination, I realized that I had written about this a few years ago as well:
http://pamelasopenwindow.blogspot.com/2010/10/he-hideth-my-soul.html

So now, what am I to deduce from these repetitious messages?  Either I am going senile and can't remember what I wrote even  a little over a month ago...or it is a message that the Lord is wanting to get across to not only me but others out there in blogland!  I prefer to think of the latter as the truth rather than the former...even though I was at the Doctor's office with my husband today, and the Dr. gave my hubby a "memory test"...you know,  gave him some objects to remember...and then came back to it ten minutes later and asked again what those three objects were...and I hate to admit it that we both missed one of the three objects...our favorite fruit...apples!!!  Yikes!  The other parts of the test were also a little challenging...I was glad that I wasn't the one being tested...and then I come home and realize that I keep repeating myself here...and well, help!! 

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has issues like this...but it is a little embarrassing to put it out here for all the world to see!!!  However, maybe that is a good sign...I am still coherent enough to recognize that this could be a problem rather than just continuing to do it over and over and over again and people start whispering behind my back that I keep repeating myself, and...and...Okay...enough of this!

So, friends, what have YOU been up to lately?  I have confessed my frailties...please tell me I'm not alone!

Speaking of alone...This is the only picture I took today...of this Sand Hill Crane standing all alone down by the pond in our neighborhood.

I have a feeling she/he really wasn't all alone, as this is most likely their nesting season...and she/he may have been standing guard near the nest.  I know I heard the cranes calling each other not long after I passed by here, so I'm sure they were close by.  

You know, we are never really alone either...even when we may think there is no one else around us...we are never truly alone...

Here are a few verses that I read today that I found interesting...

Genesis 28:15-16

(God was talking to Jacob in a dream...this is from the famous "Jacob's Ladder" story)

15.  "Behold I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land;

for I will not leave you until I have done 

what I have spoken to you."

16.  Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said,

"Surely the Lord is in this place, 

and I did not know it."

I wonder how often we have felt the Lord's Presence in a certain place...and perhaps didn't realize at the time that is WHO it was...but maybe later we recognized that it could only have been the Lord...

I know I've had those kinds of experiences in my life...how about you?

Here is another verse that I read today in my devotional time that brought a sense of comfort and peace to my heart:

Psalm 34:7

"The angel of the Lord encamps all around

those who fear Him,

and delivers them."

The "Angel of the Lord" is thought to be God Himself, according to my understanding of scripture...but, even if it isn't God Himself, it is His angel, sent especially to set up camp and totally surround us, giving us complete protection and deliverance from any foe.  I love this verse. I have it highlighted in my Bible, and a note written in the margin that this verse was read to our son Matthew on the day before he slipped away into heaven. He had expressed some fear and had asked the Hospice chaplain to pray for courage a couple of days earlier.  (Click HERE for more about that story, written just a few days before Matthew passed away) I know the Lord was there with him...and with us during that extremely difficult time.

Just a few verses later, in verse 18, we are told that

"The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart,

And saves such as have a contrite spirit."

I know there are many of you who could attest to the truth of that statement...and so could I.  When our son did pass away, we truly felt the Presence of the Lord surrounding and undergirding us with His strong arms, giving us the strength to move forward even in our grief, knowing that our son was no longer suffering and was definitely standing in the very Presence of the Lord at that moment. And He is still here with us, almost three years later...giving us that strength and comfort that only He can give.

Throughout our lives we will experience God's Presence in happy times as well as sad times...because He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us. (see Deuteronomy 31:6, 8)  I know I've repeated that verse many times in the past  (Click HERE for one of those times)  But, even God has repeated that message many times over and over again...so I guess I'm in good company after all!!

It's very comforting to know that I am definitely not alone!! Amen?

Just another picture of the chickadee, standing guard near the nest in the bird house...I decided to stay clear of there today and give them a chance to finish building.