You’ll Never Walk Alone

                                                                                                        

I was sixteen when my Dad died at age 45 of a heart attack. Devastated, angry, and confused, I wanted to know why God took our Dad.

Without a relationship with Christ, I had been consumed by a storm of grief and despair. I longed for hope and comfort. Then shortly after his death, I happened upon the movie, Carousel, and heard the song, “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” written by Oscar Hammerstein and Richard Rodgers. The following is a portion of the song, that touched my soul.

When you walk through a storm, hold your head up high and don’t be afraid of the dark. At the end of the storm, there’s a golden sky, and the sweet silver song of a lark. Walk on through the wind; walk on through the rain, though your dreams be tossed and blown…walk on; walk on, with hope in your heart, and you’ll never walk alone; you’ll never walk alone. 

That song took on new meaning, when at age 25, I surrendered my heart to Jesus Christ and asked the Holy Spirit to fill me with His presence. Since then, His Spirit has guided, directed, and comforted me in life’s difficulties. Even when the storms of life appeared hopelessly overpowering, I never walked alone. God has been a constant and present help throughout every storm and watched with me as each “golden sky” victoriously broke through the darkest clouds.

There have been times in the past and even now, when overwhelming fear, doubt, and questions suddenly invade my peace. But haven’t we all been hit with sudden “storms” that caused us to cry out to God and question Him? The disciples did.

Jesus had fallen asleep in the boat, when a violent storm arose, and water quickly filled the boat. Fearful, the disciples cried out, “Master, Master, we are going to drown!” Jesus awoke from a deep sleep and rebuked the wind and the raging waves. Suddenly the storm stopped and all was calm. Then He asked them, “Where is your faith?”

The disciples were terrified and amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “When He gives a command, even the wind and waves obey Him!” (Luke 8:23-25)

“Who is this man?” We scratch our heads and wonder how could they have been so blind after all they had witnessed and experienced. They ate, slept, and walked with Him. They listened to His teachings and witnessed the miraculous. He had told them who He was and His mission on earth, and yet they still doubted and questioned.

Part of the answer rests in the fact that the disciples were human beings, who when faced with adversity, struggled with the same questions and doubts that become ours. Even though they had the incarnate scriptures daily with them, they didn’t believe.

I have heard people say, “If only I could have walked with Jesus and witnessed His miracles.” The disciples had witnessed His miracles and had sat under his teaching, yet they didn’t believe. We have the living Word as the accurate representation of God’s truth, but how much of God’s Word do we really believe and apply to our lives?

The greater reason for the disciples’ unbelief was that they had not yet received the Holy Spirit. Jesus had not ascended to heaven; therefore, the Father had not sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in all who would receive Him. It is the Holy Spirit that gives revelation. Without the Holy Spirit to direct and guide, each disciple was like a ship without a rudder. Without the Holy Spirit, we are also like a ship without a rudder.

The Godhead is three Persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The following is a partial list of what The Holy Spirit does for us when we invite Him into our heart (John 14:26).

The Holy Spirit…

…searches and shows God’s deepest secrets (1 Corinthians 2:10).

…reveals mysteries (Daniel 2:28).

…guides us into all truth (John 16:13-15).

…convicts of sin and gives access to God the Father (Ephesians 2:18).

…empowers us (Luke 4:14; 24:49; Rom. 15:19; Acts 1:8).

…teaches us to pray (I John 5:14-15; Romans 8:26-27).

…washes and renews us (Titus 3:5)

…brings liberty and sets us free from sin and death (Romans 8:2).

…sanctifies us (2 Thess. 2:13; 1 Pet. 1:2; Rom. 5:16).

…transforms us into the image of Christ (2 Cor. 3:18).

…distributes spiritual gifts (I Cor. 12:4; 8-10; Hebrews 2:4).

…anoints us for ministry (Luke 4:18; Acts 10:38).

…comforts and gives us joy (Matthew 11:28; Acts 9:31; 1 Thess. 1:6).

…strengthens our spirits (Ephesians 3:16).

…seals us unto the day of redemption (Eph. 1:13; 4:30).

After Jesus’ resurrection, He told the disciples, “the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and  bring to remembrance all that I said to you” (John 14:26 NASB).

We are not complete until we welcome the Spirit’s presence into our lives. He then becomes our Teacher and Advocate who leads, guides, and comforts us. With our permission, the Holy Spirit can daily transform us into the likeness of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Often the storms that we find ourselves in, as unpleasant as they might be, are permitted to show us the weaknesses in our faith. The first thing Jesus asked the disciples was, “Where is your faith?”

Storms, whether in nature or occurring in our lives, can be transformative or destructive. No matter their intensity or duration, the outcome depends on how we react to them.

If you are walking through a storm, hold your head high, and don’t be afraid of the dark. At the end of a storm, there is a golden sky…because we can trust God and not be afraid; He is our strength, our song, and our salvation (Isaiah 12:2).

God always has a purpose in allowing storms. He wanted to reveal to the disciples their lack of faith. He knew the difficult road that was ahead of them, so He was preparing them for the challenges they would soon face.

Like the disciples, we are in training for greater things to come, as well as those things to overcome. That requires faith to believe God when circumstances tell us to believe something else.

When we walk through a storm and question if God cares, we can unequivocally know that He not only cares about every detail of our lives, He sees all and is listening to our every word. He is our shelter and strength, and His Spirit is always ready to help us in times of trouble (Psalm 34:17; 46:1). We can fully trust Him.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for sending Jesus Christ to earth to save me from my sins. Upon His resurrection, You sent the Holy Spirit to be the Advocate and Helper to all who ask. Therefore, I invite the Holy Spirit to fill me to overflowing. Teach me to trust and yield to Your leadership, truth, guidance, wisdom, and knowledge. In Jesus name, amen.

FOOTNOTE: Twenty years after my Dad’s death, my sister-in-law revealed that two weeks before he died, her sweet mother led him to Christ. I will always be grateful for her obedience in sharing the Gospel (Matthew 28:19). Because of her faithfulness to Christ’s command, I will see my Dad again.