I Will Not Leave You as Orphans

Let us imagine a group of friends sharing a delicious dinner in fellowship.

All of a sudden, in such an agreeable environment, the friend who led everybody together to become a family, everyone’s unconditional friend, begins to say goodbye with his heart beaten by pain at the thought of leaving them. He knows everything will change but that it is necessary to say goodbye now.

The celebration turns into a different mood.

The joy and fellowship are replaced by silence, sadness, bitterness, and questions: Why? What is happening? The group stares at one another.

Tears, one by one, wet their eyes. You can see in their faces a deep nostalgia, as well as increased anguish and fear because their best friend, their guide and their hope, is going.

In their minds and hearts appears more uncertainty: What’s going to happen to us and to our lives? Who will help us? Why does he have to go? What will we do without him? Can we go too?

The whole place in one voice expresses hopelessness. Yet the friend, out of his own personal pain, with a tender, sweet, warm, and confident voice, says, “Calm down! I will not leave you as orphans!”

A similar scenario happens in our lives, especially when we experience loss, sadness, and adversity. However, Jesus knows we fear and get worried easily. He knows how quickly we begin to feel abandoned.

But Jesus is not and won’t ever be unaware of our hopelessness, anguish, and fear. He promised to be always near; we are never alone.

I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. — John 14:18, NIV

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to always see You.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Martha Lucía Polo Q is a Curriculum Specialist in our Colombian office.

Read all the One in Spirit devotionals.