Forward Movement is an official, non-profit agency of the Episcopal Church whose mission is to create compelling content for Christian living. Since 1935 we have published the quarterly devotional Forward Day by Day, as well as pamphlets, booklets, and books that encourage and nourish people in their lives of prayer and faith.
SATURDAY, July 31 (Ignatius of Loyola)
Matthew 28:11-20. I am with you always.
To the ends of the earth and to the end of time, Jesus assures us he will never abandon us. He says to us, "You will never find yourself where I have not gone before, or without guidance, if you turn to me. I who am the Way will prepare the way for my witnesses. I who am the Truth will be there to help when the right words do not come easily or the right decision seems unclear. I who am the Life will revive you when energies dwindle and hope fades. And at the end, I who have been with you all along, the Alpha and the Omega, will embrace you as my own." Blessed assurance.
The trouble is, it does not always seem that way. We know dark nights of the soul that may go on for months. We can name God-forsaken places, not all of them at the ends of the earth. We struggle with doubt, defeat, and ineffectiveness. The words of faith seem so easy for others that we cannot believe they have faced the tough questions.
Jesus did not say he would spare us this, but that even when we doubt his presence, he will be there. (1984)
PRAY for the Diocese of Enugu North (Province of The Niger, Nigeria)
Ps 75, 76 * 23, 27; Judges 5:19-31; Acts 2:22-36
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"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."