Bible Reading: Romans 8:35-39

Eva zigzagged around mud puddles as she walked home in the rain, but her feet were still getting wet. I know Mom and Dad both had to work late today, but I wish they’d asked someone to give me a ride, she thought gloomily. And they know I don’t like being home alone! But when Eva reached the back porch, she was surprised to see her older sister there. “Hi!” said Kate. “I’m home from college for the weekend.” She grinned. “What a beautiful, sunshiny day, don’t you think?”

“No, I don’t!” said Eva, wiping water off her face.

“Oh, but it is!” insisted Kate. “Even if it doesn’t look like it.”

“I think you’ve been studying too hard, Kate. Your brain must be taking the weekend off too.”

“So you’re saying the sun isn’t there anymore?” Kate asked, peering up at the heavy clouds. “That it totally disappeared?”

“Of course not,” Eva answered. “But it’s sure hidden. I haven’t seen it for days!”

“Well, just because we can’t see the sun doesn’t mean it’s not there. Behind those dark clouds, the sun still shines! It just goes to show that we can’t always trust what we see–we need to trust the truth.” When Eva didn’t reply, Kate smiled and added, “Take Jesus, for example.”

“Jesus?” asked Eva. “What do you mean?”

“Well, when bad things happen, we might feel like we’re all alone, but we’re not,” Kate explained. “Jesus is always with us. The truth is that He’s there, whether we feel like He is or not.”

“So the clouds are like our problems,” said Eva. “The clouds keep us from seeing the sunshine, but the sun is still there–and dealing with hard stuff may keep us from feeling like Jesus is with us, but He really is there.”

“Right!” said Kate. “Because Jesus died and rose again to defeat sin and death, nothing can separate us from God and His love. That’s His promise in the Bible, and we should trust Him. The sun is always shining, and God’s love is always shining too.”

Eva grinned. “Okay. So how about going for a walk?” She laughed when her sister made a face. “Come on, Kate. Don’t let a little rain stop you on this beautiful, sunny day!”

–Diane Strawbridge

How About You?
Have you trusted in Jesus as your Savior? If you have, He promises that He will always be with you and never leave you. You may not always feel like He’s there, but don’t depend on your feelings. Trust the truth of God’s Word, which says He will always be with His children. There is nothing that can separate you from God and His love.

Today’s Key Verse:
[God] himself has said, “I will never leave you or abandon you.” (CSB) (Hebrews 13:5)

Today’s Key Thought:
Trust God, not feelings