In spite of the plans I concoct in my mind

I can't say for certain what tomorrow may find

But one thing, dear Lord, I know will be true

Close, by my side, there will always be You

Where is God when our world falls apart? Death. Illness. Divorce. Abandonment. Devastation. Betrayal. Depression. Bankruptcy. Destruction. Hopelessness. Distress. Where is God when we need Him most?

The answer seems easy. Jesus once said, And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:20b, NASU) Simple, right? We may have read this. We have known it in our hearts. And yet we can still feel so utterly alone. Why? Because merely reading the words does not make them true to us. It's how we approach the words, understand, and apply them that make them real.

How do we approach these words? These are the words of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, Son of God and Son of Man. He is Emmanuel, God with us. He isn't just another character in a long story. So when we come to this passage, we don't read words on a page. We listen to the One we call Lord! He is speaking...now!

How do we understand these words? We study them and look to the message they carried when they were written. Did you know that when Jesus said these words, His tone changed? The words used here indicate what He was saying was imperative and that He spoke with great emphasis. This was serious stuff!

"And behold, surely, remember and understand...I exist and accompany you ALL the days, to the absolute completion and culmination of the age, now in this life and in the life to come." Simply put, just as God declared to Moses, Joshua, and the Israelites 14 centuries before: I will never leave you!

How do we apply these words? So often, this is where everything falls down. Jesus' words represent more than a promise of what He will do. They are a fact of what He is doing at this very moment. Jesus isn't a superhero who comes to our rescue when the occasion arises. He's the friend who is with us long before.

Years ago a friend told me of an experience he had during a Christian service in his native country of Nigeria. He happened to be on stage when a man with a terribly withered hand asked for healing. People gathered around and prayed over him. My friend, an internationally known and respected doctor, watched in amazement as the man's hand was fully restored.

He had never seen anything like that in his life, but it would not be the only time during this three-day service. I asked why such things would happen in Nigeria, but not in my country. People come together and pray, and some very amazing, even miraculous, things do happen, but never something like this. He thought for a moment, then replied, "Because we expect it."

That is how we apply the words of the Risen Lord. When He says He is with us, every day, even now, we do not wish or hope that somehow it might possibly be true. We know it is true. We go through the day living our lives with the fervent, confident belief that it is true. With all our heart and mind and soul and strength...we expect Him to be by our side, always and forever.

Where is God when our world falls apart? Where is God when we need Him most? He is here!