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[Jesus said] I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. John 14:18-19

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“It’s the Hard-Knock Life.” That’s a song from the musical Annie. Annie is a little girl who lives in an orphanage. She sings that life is hard because she has “no folks to speak of”—no mom or dad to take care of her. An orphan is a child without parents to care for them. That can feel lonely, scary, and sad. Who tucks you in at night? Who helps when you’re sick? Who gives hugs when you’re hurting? Children need someone to love them and care for them.

That’s why Jesus gave his disciples a very special promise.

On the night before Jesus died, he told his disciples he was going away. He was going to suffer, die, rise again, and later return to his Father in heaven. Imagine how the disciples must have felt hearing that. They had walked with Jesus, listened to Jesus, and leaned on Jesus. Now it sounded like he was leaving. Life without Jesus probably felt scary. Maybe a little like being orphaned.

But Jesus gave them this promise: “I will not leave you as orphans” (John 14:18). Jesus knew life in this world would still be hard. The devil is a roaring lion looking to devour us. A sin-broken world wants to bring us down. The enemy is even inside us—our sinful nature—looking for every opportunity to betray us. On our own we don’t stand a chance against any one of these enemies. But Jesus says you are not alone. You are not on your own. You are not forgotten. You are not an orphan.

Jesus may not be standing next to us where we can see him, but he is still with us. He promises to be with his people always. And he sends the Holy Spirit to help us, comfort us, and keep us close to him. The Holy Spirit works through God’s Word. He works through Baptism. He works through Holy Communion. Through these gifts, Jesus is with you. He forgives you, comforts you, and reminds you that you belong to him.

So when life feels lonely . . . when life feels scary . . . when you feel like no one understands . . . remember Jesus’ promise: “I will not leave you as orphans.”

Lord Jesus, we thank you that you have not left us as orphans in this hard and scary world. Keep us close to you in this life as we look forward to the day we will see you in eternal life. Amen.

The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire.

Questions for Younger Children

Questions for Elementary Age Children

Questions for Middle School and Above

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