It was a dark and stormy night. Well, not quite. It was actually a sunny afternoon. But in my heart...It was a dark and stormy night.

I'd just turned on my computer. A few clicks, whrrs, and beeps later, a message popped onto the screen: UNABLE TO LOCATE DRIVE D.

This probably isn't good, I thought. All my data is on Drive D. Files, correspondence, reports, pictures, Notes. OH, NO!!! The Notes. I can't get to the Notes!

Truth be told, we do backup everything. But the last Note...the one intended to go out that day...which had taken more than my usual 14 hours to write...was still in draft form. No copies, no backups.

I cried to Heaven, "Help me!" Not audibly, but I was certainly thinking it. Then a thought occurred. Maybe I just need to shut down the computer, calm myself a bit, and reboot the whole thing.

Taking a deep breath, I anxiously followed my new course. After several minutes, I again pushed the power button. More clicks, whrrs, and beeps followed. But no message. Drive D was fully operational. Thank you, merciful God!

This may all seem silly. But losing something incapable of being recreated in its original form can be traumatic. Yet now with a fully functional Drive D, I proceeded to backup, finalize, and upload the Note for publication. At last it was secure. Then something interesting occurred.

A message popped onto the screen: UNABLE TO ACCESS DRIVE D DUE TO FATAL ERROR. For those who don't understand such lingo - Drive D was officially dead and on its way to computer heaven.

Normally I would have returned to "Help me!" mode, but I realized something special had happened. God answered my prayer. Though He didn't save my hard drive, He kept it alive long enough for me to take care of His business. Pretty cool, huh?

From Old Testament to New, God assured His people that He would be and remain with them, guide and lead them, protect and save them. Sometimes we forget such assurances are meant for us, too.

When Jesus promised, I am with you always, to the very end of the age (Matthew 28:20), He wasn't speaking only to the Disciples. He was speaking to you and me. He was assuring us, When things go wrong - struggles, difficulties, and hardships rain down - when obstacles block your way - I'm with you. Don't be afraid. I've got your back.

You may have a different way of saying I've got your back. It means: I'm with you, protecting you, keeping you safe. That's what Jesus is telling each of us. There will still be tough times, but just think about it. Jesus - God With Us - is with you!

God has called you to something. Maybe it's to be an example or share your testimony, reach out to someone or love the unlovable. Perhaps He wants you to speak out, stand up, even write something encouraging. Not sure what it is? Confused? A little afraid? Try this...