READ: JOHN 6:37-40; 10:27-30; 15:15; ROMANS 8:31-39

Willow, Madison, and Emilia had been best friends since preschool. But one day, everything changed in the concession line. Emilia said to Willow, “No one wants you here anymore!”

Willow turned around to see if Emilia was talking to someone else. She wasn’t. “I’m talking to you, Willow,” said Emilia. “No one wants you here!”

“Why?” Willow looked at Madison, who shrugged her shoulders but said nothing. Without using words, Madison pushed Willow away too.

So, she ran, her mind racing faster than her feet. What had she done? Why did they crowd her out now? What was wrong with them? What was wrong with her?

If you’ve ever been pushed out of a group of friends, you know how painful it can be. Maybe they told you they didn’t want you there, or maybe you realized the others in the group kept hanging out without you. Maybe you wondered, Why did they push me away?

Jesus made a promise about those who belong to Him. He said, “All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away” (John 6:37).

When you belong to Jesus, He will never push you away, turn His back on you, or walk out. Not now, not tomorrow, not ever. Jesus won’t forget your name, lose your number, or get sick of spending time with you. Not even death can separate you from Him.

Jesus will never crowd you out. He died on the cross for you because He wanted to be your friend. And He rose from the grave, so you can know that He will stick close by your side no matter what. Even when you feel alone, He is there. He wants to comfort you and help you figure out what’s next, whether that looks like restoring old friendships or making new ones. With Jesus, there’s always room for one more. No one is left behind or crowded out! • Lenae Bulthuis

• Can you think of a time you were excluded from a friend group, left out of weekend plans, or removed from a group chat? Can you think of a time you excluded someone else?

• Jesus promises never to push you away. Nothing can separate you from Him. Even on your worst days, He sticks close. Consider taking a moment to talk to Jesus about His promise to you. You can thank Him for His love and forgiveness, and you can also ask Him to help you see others (both the excluders and the excluded) as He does.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life…nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)