There seems to be something very comforting about seeing a picture of your family.  It's not because we forget what they look like (!) but more to feel a connection to a group of people who know you so well.

Matthew 28.16-20

Reference:  v.20b "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (NIV Bible)

Explore:  The Big Brother series has just concluded in Australia.  It is always interesting to see these gung-ho people who are willing to leave their normal lives for up to three months to be viewed 24/7 on national television.  But no matter how much they leave behind them, they all bring photos from home which become their most treasured possession inside the house.  There seems to be something very comforting about seeing a picture of your family.  It's not because we forget what they look like (!) but more to feel a connection to a group of people who know you so well.

Application:  In this final verse of the gospel of Matthew we hear Jesus promise to his disciples, 'I am with you always'.  While life can be trying and situations seem insurmountable, we still have that promise of Jesus' to hold on to, even today.  Jesus did not promise that everything was going to be easy from here on in, he did not promise that we would get everything we wanted, he did not promise that he would make all the bad days disappear.  Jesus promised that no matter who we are, what we do, where we live, what age we live in that He would always be with us.  The knowledge of that promise is worth a thousand family photos!  He knows us so completely and yet he still promises to be with us.  While that may not take away all the pain and suffering it gives us the hope that we always have someone there to comfort us and to rely on.  We may not be able to see God's presence like we can in a photo but there are many pictures of God in our world: a rainbow, someone's smile, a hug, the warmth of the sun, a happy laugh, the softness of the snow... wherever there is creation, there is God.  He is all around us, reminding us that he is with us always, to the very end of the age.

Prayer:  Lord, thank you for that promise.  We do the wrong thing, we turn away from you, we run our own lives but you still promise to be there for us.  That is unconditional love that is overwhelming.  Thank you.  Amen.

What helps you to remember that God is always with you?