As human beings we sometimes feel like we are alone. Sometimes we feel like we have to hide from other people – we don’t want to see anyone or be around anyone; and sometimes we feel like no one wants to see us or be with us. Other times we want to be around other people but there is no one there for us. Maybe we have hurt them or done something wrong and they are so offended they don’t want to see us.
Or maybe we are Christians and they do not want to be seen with us.
We feel alone. We feel scared. We are depressed and discouraged and our hearts are heavy; we are sad and lonely. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring and there is a lot of uncertainty in our lives.
Jesus says to you right now, “Don’t be afraid.” “Take courage. I am here!”
Jesus is there with you in your difficulties. Jesus is there with you in your loneliness and pain. Jesus is with you in your suffering and sorrow. You are not alone. Jesus is there with you. You may not see Him or even feel Him; but He is there with you in the suffering and the sorrow.
Jesus died
After Jesus died his disciples were very sad. They thought that Jesus had lost the battle against the devil because Jesus died on the cross. Yes, Jesus died on the cross.
The Bible tells us so.
“Jesus died on the cross.” – 1 Peter 3:18
And after He died his followers were very sad. They went to his grave and cried; they went home and cried and were very sad and discouraged.
You are not alone
No matter how bad you feel you are not alone. Even if there is no one around you, or you are on a dusty road, or surrounded by millions of people in a refugee camp…you are never alone. God is with you. You are not alone when you are hiding in the desert. You are not alone when you are crying under your roof. You are not alone when you are running away from the bullets that someone is firing at you. You are never alone. Jesus said: “I am always with you.”
The disciples of Jesus thought they were alone after Jesus died. They thought that Jesus was gone forever. But let us listen to what the Bible – the Word of God says.
Jesus rose from the dead
The Bible says that Jesus rose from the dead:
“Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,” – 1 Corinthians 15:4
Jesus was dead but then He was alive again. Jesus came back to life. His body was made alive again. He walked, talked and ate on the earth once again. Three days earlier He was nailed to a cross and bled and died. Jesus died for the sins of the world. Then Jesus became alive again.
Jesus said:
“I am the living one. I died, but look–I am alive forever and ever!” – Revelation 1:18
So there they were – Jesus’ disciples – depressed, discouraged and feeling like Jesus abandoned them. And maybe you are feeling the same way – depressed, discouraged and feeling like you have been abandoned. But you are not alone. Jesus is there with you.
While the disciples were sitting in a room filled with sadness this is what happened:
“On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.”
Jesus is always with you
You see…even the disciples of Jesus were afraid and doubted that Jesus would always be with them. But before Jesus died He said to them “I will always be with you.” Jesus is always with us. He will never leave you and He will never forsake you.
After Jesus rose from the dead and visited His disciples; but there was still one disciple who had not seen Jesus. His name was Thomas. Here is what happened to Thomas.
“Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
A Somali becomes a Christian
Here is a true story about what happened to a Somali. One night she was lying down in bed. It was about midnight. This Somali woman had 5 children and her husband had divorced her. She was in a new country called Sweden in Europe. She was without a husband and she had to try and raise her five children.
As she was lying in bed a thought came to her mind “Go to the computer and google SOMALI CHRISTIANS.” She did not do it because she thought that was a silly thing to do. So she stayed in bed. Then the thought came to her again “Go to the computer
and google SOMALI CHRISTIANS.”
Again she did not go to the computer because she did not think that it was a good idea to do that. Again the thought came to her a third time “Go to the computer and google SOMALI CHRISTIANS.”
This time the woman went to the computer and googled SOMALI CHRISTIANS. The first hit that came up on the computer screen was a link to a website called somalichristians.org. She clicked on the link and went to the website called somalichristians.org.
She read some of the material and listened to some testimonies and some Somali Christians songs and she decided that the next day she would call Somali Christian Ministries. She talked to a Somali Christian woman and then she started to believe in and Jesus Christ as her Lord and Saviour.
The lady with the 5 children was born again, her sins were forgiven and she received the Holy Spirit. She was saved. She believed that Jesus Christ was her Lord and Saviour. She was baptized and then her children also started to believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour.
Jesus cares about the lonely and depressed
This world can be a very cruel and dark place. This world is under the power of the devil and there are many people who want power, money and riches. There is corruption, violence, and stealing in many places. Governments don’t always take care of the poor. Some very rich people steal from the poor and make them work like slaves. God will judge them.
The Bible says this about the rich:
“Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you. Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags. Your gold and silver have become worthless. The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire. This treasure you have accumulated will stand as evidence against you on the day of judgment. For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The wages you held back cry out against you. The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.
You have spent your years on earth in luxury, satisfying your every desire. You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter. You have condemned and killed innocent people, who do not resist you.” – James 5:1-6
So don’t be angry against the rich and their selfish rules of this world. God will deal with them; and if they do not turn away from their sins they will burn in the lake of fire – which is the second death.
Remember that God is with you and that He will never leave you and never forsake you. Don’t’ worry about what others say and do. If you believe in God He will always be there for you and take care of you. He will send His angels to protect you and help you.
Pray for those who are oppressing you and taking advantage of you. Pray for the wicked rulers in Somalia who are hurting others. Pray for the warlords who are raping the country and causing others to get hurt with all the violence they are doing. Forgive those who have done wrong to you or have harmed you. And pray that God would bless them and change their hearts so that they would love God.
Jesus said – love your enemies and to do good to those who hate you. Jesus said to give your enemies food and water and to be kind to them. Jesus said to love others and not the hate them. We at Somali Christian Ministries devote our lives to loving Somalis and sharing the Message of The Lord with them; we are sharing with them the words of life and the Message of the Lord that can save them if they put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus is with you
Remember what Jesus said:
“I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” Amen.”