“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 1:6
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In baseball and softball, often the team on defense will secure the third and final out of the inning while there are still runners on the base paths. When this happens, the hitting team is said to have left runners “stranded.” The runners began their trip around the diamond by reaching base in some way, but they never made it all the way back to home plate and therefore have nothing to show for their efforts.
Sometimes, followers of Christ can feel “stranded” during our lifelong journey of faith. We may feel stuck in some unfavorable life or work situation. We may feel directionless about the next step in life or ministry. We may even feel as though God isn’t answering our prayers or speaking to us through His Word. Therefore, we feel stranded.
Our feelings are real and we shouldn’t ignore them; we also shouldn’t rely on them as accurate indicators of the truth. John 17:17 says, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth” (emphasis added). Our feelings aren’t — or at least shouldn’t be — the operating system of our lives, because we live in a world where all things have been tainted by sin. This includes our feelings. Rather, the Word of God is our operating system, as Jesus declared in Matthew 4:4. We cling to God, who has revealed Himself to us in His Word, and we cling to the promises He’s made to us there.
So when you feel “stranded” in life and in your walk with the Lord, tell yourself this: “My feelings are deceitful and don’t represent reality. God’s Word does, and God promises to His people in His Word, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'”
If you are in Christ, God is always with you, whether you remember it all the time or not. He is walking with you through the trials of life, leading you as a loving Father leads His child into green pastures and beside still waters, and one day, into His perfect presence for all eternity.
— Kevin Mercer
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