The Lord Himself

A dignitary of prominence is often exempt from the menial tasks that would seem to travel below his high and important position. Delegation and ambassadorial assignments take the burden of direct involvement off of the distinguished individual so that they might attend to matters that are worthy of their attention. But the King of Glory holds no such attitude, even though he is above every authority, power, dominion, and ruler.

Consider this, written to those of us the Lord is mercifully mindful of -

After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.

— 1 Peter 5:10

The Lord himself. The Lord himself is our encouragement and strength; he is there even when people are not. He is never too busy to hear your plea, to listen to your prayer, to come alongside you in your troubled times. We may have earthly shepherds (and thank God for them), but the Lord is our ultimate shepherd, and it's important that our faith ultimately rests there, in him, not in man.

Scripture encourages us with the truth of "The Lord himself" being involved in our lives, again and again -

• The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you ... ¹

• Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace ... ²

• In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety. ³

• But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.” ⁴

• The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense ... ⁵

The Lord indeed sends prophets and messengers in his name; he's always used people to minister to people - this is his way. But isn't it comforting to know that there are times when the Lord himself shows up in your situation and does what no man could do? Yes, he may use people, he may use circumstances, he may use a donkey, but we can always know that the Lord himself is holding that tool in his hand.

Now here is some practical encouragement: when you feel alone, even abandoned, when your friend count is low and encouraging phone calls, emails, and texts are rare, remember this - the Lord himself is by your side. Continue to serve faithfully. Continue to reach out and encourage others. Continue, faithful steward, for the Lord himself is by your side.

Scripture References

¹ Deuteronomy 31:8

² 2 Thessalonians 3:16

³ Psalm 4:8

⁴ John 6:20

⁵ Isaiah 12:2