God is not Merely a Bystander

“The LORD Himself goes before you; He will be with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.” Deuteronomy 42:8 BSB

In an article titled, “Runner Falls Into Bayou Following Robbery” posted by Runner’s World Tuesday, the following was reported: On Friday, February 3, a woman was out for a run when she was robbed in downtown Houston, Texas. In an attempt to seek help, she ran down towards the Buffalo Bayou, a waterway that runs through the middle of the city, and fell in. A bystander saw the runner fall in and called for help. Soon, first responders arrived to the scene and threw her a flotation device to pull her out of the water. Officials told ABC 13 Houston that she wasn’t seriously inured and wasn’t far into the water. Unfortunately, there is no known description of the robber as of yet. Thankfully for the woman, this story ended well thanks to a ‘bystander’ who saw what happened and was willing to stop and help. 

Sadly though, as this world continues to slide further and further into moral decay, you can be sure that brazen crimes such as this will be on the rise. And while the thought of that may fill you with fear, let me remind you of something… our God is not merely a bystander. He goes before us, He is always with us, and He will never ever forsake you or me. And because of that, we can be encouraged to boldly take the Message of the Gospel to the streets, undeterred and unafraid of any opposition or consequences. 

So “do not be afraid or discouraged” my friend. Perilous times are ahead of us, of that you can be sure. But that shouldn’t cause us to fret or fear. The Good News needs to be preached so that those have fallen into sin can repent and be rescued before it’s too late. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that crime will only increase as the love of so many will continue to grow cold. Let that thought fill our hearts with a sense of urgency Lord knowing that the time of your return is imminent and there are people who need to hear the Gospel before it’s too late. It’s in your precious Name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!