"Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."

Never be abandoned! Never be alone. What a promise. Through all of life's ups and downs, temptations and victories, and even through death, God will be by our side (Psalm 139:1-24), so that we can feel His power and be brave. We're not alone in this.

Even though these words were said to Joshua when he took over for Moses, we can still use them. Read Psalm 139 out loud for a moment, and you'll see that God's promise to be with us is for everyone who truly calls on Him. Listen to what Jesus says in Matthew 28:18–20. He tells His disciples that He will always be with them, even until the end of the world. In Hebrews 13:5, God's promise is repeated from an Old Testament blessing: "I will never leave you, I will never abandon you!" Let's be strong. Our God, our Father, and our Shepherd is always close, even if it doesn't seem that way. We can't go anywhere without Him being close to us and inside of us. We are not on our own. We don't need to worry. Even death can't take us away from His love (cf. Romans 8:35-39).

Never left alone! Never by myself! What a guarantee. God will be with us through all the ups and downs of life, through temptations and victories, and even through death (Psalm 139:1-24). So that we can be brave and feel His power. We are not on our own!