You are not alone (Tuesday, Lent 5)

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In Numbers 21:4-9, we are told that the people of Israel became impatient on the way as they journeyed from Egypt to the Promised Land. Why? Because there was no food and water! In John 8:21-30, we heard Jesus boldly proclaiming that “the Father who sent Him was with Him and that He has not left Him alone”. Jesus was not afraid because He knew and believed that God His Father was with Him.


In the above, we see two contrasting scenarios, two contrasting situations and personalities: the Israelites in Num. 21:4-9 and Jesus in Jn. 8:21-30. The first situation presents us with a people (that is, the Israelites) who lost awareness of God’s presence, were suffocated by fear and thus lost faith and trust. And the second situation presents us with someone (that is, Jesus) who strongly believed that God was with Him and never allowed fear to make Him compromise the trust and confidence He had in His Father.


Experiences have shown that most children seem to be more confident, courageous and fearless in the presence of their fathers. And they seem not to be afraid of any person or any situation because they believe very strongly that their fathers are there to defend and fight for them. The testimony of Jesus clearly shows that He was fully aware of the presence of God His Father. The attitude of the Israelites proved that they stopped believing that God was journeying with them through the desert unto the Promised Land.


A lot of us may have found ourselves in a “desert” situation of serious lack. Many of us may even be having a very strong feeling that things will be worse. In such situations, we may be forced to complain and believe that we are alone and that God is no longer with us. When you are unaware that God is still present, “fear” becomes your unwanted visitor. But when you are fully aware of God’s presence, no matter the difficulties that you go through, you can boldly say with Jesus: “God has not left me ALONE; He is with me”.


The awareness of God’s presence should inject fresh confidence and strength into us, and this should help us to continue to move on in life without fear despite the difficulties and challenges that stare us in the face. The name “Emmanuel” given to Jesus means “God is with us”. The name of God revealed to Moses is “I AM”. In other words, there should no cause for alarm because we know that GOD-IS-WITH-US. His words are: “I AM with you; do not be afraid”.



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