One thing I’ve learned is that the people who are in our lives at one point in time may not be around later on. As we go through life, we lose some of the people who mean the most to us. We also meet new people and let them into our lives. Sometimes, we bond with friends or family members or mentors who eventually leave our lives or even abandon us. Other times our loved ones pass away, and our hearts are left aching as we long to be with them again.

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The relationships we have are constantly changing, and we’re going to lose some of the people who mean a lot to us. But, as Christians, the relationship we have with God will remain. Because Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave for us, everyone who has put their trust in Jesus is God’s child and His friend, forever. We will never be abandoned by God. He is never going to pass away. We will have God’s presence with us no matter what we go through (Matthew 1:23).

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I know what it’s like to be close to someone and then have that relationship destroyed, and I know what it’s like to lose family members. Through everything I’ve faced, God has only drawn closer to me, not fallen further away. He has been my constant. He will be the constant in your life too, even through all the changes you experience in your human relationships. • Emily Acker

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• Has there ever been a relationship in your life that you thought would last forever but eventually fell apart? Have you ever had someone close to you pass away? Consider taking a moment to bring these hurts to Jesus.

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• God sees all our hurts, and He cares. In His great compassion, He comforts us in every loss and grieves alongside us through every heartache. And when Jesus returns, all God’s people will live in perfect harmony with Him and with each other, and our hearts will never be broken again (Revelation 21:1-5). How could these truths give us hope when we experience the loss of a human relationship?

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“And surely I [Jesus] am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20b (NIV)