Christ's Promise - His Presence

Christ's Promise, "Lo, I am with you always",
Does not say He will be with us
Only in the Holy places;
When we act righteously;
While ministering in His name;
During times of desperate need;
Or surrounded by tranquillity.

It does not mean we must aspire
To be where He is,
To try to achieve worthiness,
Or earn the right to His company.

No, Jesus meets us right where we are!
In the wilderness of loneliness;
In the floods of utter despair;
In the depths of degradation;
In the prison cells of sin;
The banquet halls of materialism;
The desert of indifference;
Among the flames of temptation;
In the monotony of the daily grind;
Across the frozen wastes of empty religious ritual;
In the frantic pace of Christian service;
In the exuberance of strength and well-being;
Or in the weakness and discouragement of sickness;
He is there, waiting to be recognized,
Patiently holding out His arms,
while His nail-scarred hands cry out -
"Behold how I love you!"

Acknowledge and welcome Him,
And He will transform wherever you are.
The circumstances may not change,
But He will change you;
Filling you with His peace, His love, His joy,
And the consciousness of His abiding presence.

Honoria A. Groves

1984