God Is Present with You Now by Helen Lescheid

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. So we may say with confidence, “The Lord is my  helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”
Hebrews 13:5-6

While visiting my daughter in Swaziland (S. Africa) I needed a break from all the traveling we were doing. I asked to be excused from the next sightseeing trip. “I will be  just fine spending the week in your little duplex here on the school compound,” I said. The next morning I bravely said good bye to my son and daughter. But when I saw the tail lights of their car disappear over the sandy ridge, panic seized me. What have I done? We were told to never be alone. It’s too dangerous. How will I survive the next week all alone?

I ran into the house, double-locked the door as I’d seen my daughter do, climbed under the mosquito net and lay there shivering. Whom will I call in case of an emergency? I don’t know a single person.
A voice as clear as if it had been spoken out loud said, “Me! You call on Me. I have not left you.”
I grabbed my Bible and read “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. So we may say with confidence, “The Lord is my  helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5-6)

As I kept repeating the words, a calm settled into my soul and with it came a plan of action. I got out of bed, grabbed a small photo album I’d brought with me, and stepped outside. In the yard next door, I saw a young woman and small boy. “Would you like to see my photos?” I blurted out. She did. After I told her about my life in Canada, she told me bits of her life. (Luckily she spoke English)
Soon a group of children gathered around us. They loved the action choruses I taught them and they laughed at my funny pronunciation of their language. Then the children wanted me to come home and meet their parents. I was delighted to find that some knew Jesus. What a rich time of fellowship we had!

I learned so much from this experience. God is present with us as a real Person, not just in a thought or wishful thinking. A real Person who speaks comfort into our hearts:  “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

Thank you, Father, that when you say “never will I forsake you,” you mean never. You are with me now.