Then her husband’s complications from appendicitis rendered Biddy a widow, and all the dreams of a teaching ministry would have to be abandoned, right? Well, no. She turned her husband’s notes into pamphlets. Eventually, they were compiled into a book, My Utmost For His Highest. This work of Oswald Chambers has sold more than 13 million copies and has been translated into more than 35 languages.

The next time you feel overwhelmed, remind yourself of the one who is standing next to you. Give him what you have, offer thanks, and watch him go to work. Remember friends, you are never alone.

John 6:11 says, “Jesus took the loaves.” This is the story of the day that Jesus fed the 5,000 men plus women and children. He didn’t have to use the loaves. He made manna fall for the Israelites. Instead, he chose to use the single basket of the small boy.

What’s in your basket? All you have is a wimpy prayer, give it. All you have is a meager skill, use it. All you have is the strength for one step, take it. God used three nails and a crude cross to redeem humanity. If God can turn a basket into a buffet, don’t you think he can do something with your five loaves and two fishes of faith? Remember, you are never alone.

They did not, however, count on Christ. And he was standing right there! Yet the idea of soliciting his help did not dawn on them. Even so, Jesus went right to work. “Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks, He distributed them to those who were seated…and as much fish as they were wanting, too” (John 6:11). The impossible task of feeding all these people became the unforgettable miracle of all these people fed.

What we cannot do, Christ does. The problems we face are opportunities for Christ to prove his point. Remember friends, you are never alone.

God is the God of forward motion. The God of tomorrow. The man in John’s story had waited 38 years but something about the presence of Christ, the question of Christ, the command of Christ convinced him not to wait another day. Let’s join him. Ask the Lord this question, “What can I do today that will take me in the direction of a better tomorrow?” Keep asking until you hear an answer. And once you hear it, do it. Stand up, take up, and walk. Remember friends, you are never alone.

He certainly gave a bright future to the Bethesda beggar. “And immediately the man was made well” (John 5:9 NKJV). Jesus did nothing but speak, and the miracle was accomplished.

What will God do for you? I cannot say. God’s help, while ever present, is ever specific. It is not ours to say what God will do. Our job is to believe he will do something. It simply falls to us to stand up, to take up, and walk. Remember friends, you are never alone.

Friend, Jesus sees you. He has a new version of you waiting to happen. He says to you what he said to the man near the Pool of Bethesda. “Stand up, pick up your mat and walk” (John 5:8 NLT).

Stand up, do something, take action. Pick up your mat, make a clean break with the past, and walk…hit the trail. Assume that something good is going to happen. Set your sights on a new destination and begin the hike.  Getting unstuck means getting excited about getting out. And remember friend, you are never alone.

What an odd question to ask a sick person. Why would Jesus pose such a question? The man was 38 years as an invalid. The duration of the condition prompted Jesus to ask, “Would you like to get well?”

Getting well means getting up, getting a job, getting on with life. Do you really want to be healed? That’s the question Jesus asked then. That’s the question Jesus asks all of us. Do you want to get well? Remember my friend, you are never alone.

Crowds of people, despondent, dejected, one after the other, awaited their chance to be placed in the pool where healing waters bubbled up. Can you envision them? And more important, can you envision Jesus walking among them?

All the gospels’ stories of help and healing invite us to embrace this wonderful promise: “Wherever Jesus went, he healed people of every sort of illness. And what pity he felt for the crowds that came because their problems were so great and they didn’t know what to do or where to go for help” (Matthew 9:35-36 TLB).

My friend, remember Jesus sees you and you are never alone.

We will meet this father when we get to heaven, and when we do I’m gonna ask him about that walk. I want to hear how he felt. I want to know what he thought. But most of all, I want to thank him for inspiring this verse: “The man took Jesus at his word and departed” (John 4:50 NIV).

Do likewise. Set your compass on the pole star of God’s promise. Place one weary foot in front of the other. Jesus has spoken. Let his word do what it was intended to do, and that is lead you home. Remember my friend, you are never alone.

Assume that something good is going to happen. The door of tomorrow is unlocked from the inside. Just turn the knob and step out. The divine artist isn’t finished. The earth is his studio. Every person on earth is one of his projects. Every event on earth is a part of his great mural. He is not finished. The scripture says in Philippians 1:6 (NCV), “God began doing a good work in you, and I’m sure he will continue it until it is finished when Jesus Christ comes again.” Remember friend, you are never alone.