A Future Without Fear
by Lauren Stein, Elder for Young Adults Ministry
It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed. (Deuteronomy 31:8)
It has been a great honor to serve as the Elder of the Young Adult Ministry for these last six years. I’ve walked alongside so many amazing young people. Because young adulthood is such a highly-transient season, some were a part of our ministry for years and others for just a few weeks. Regardless of how long they were with us, we consistently chose to answer the call to be present with whoever walked through our doors. In everything we did, our hope was the same: that while they were with us, that they felt seen and known, by us and by God.
In these last few months, I’ve wrestled with the fact that my time as an elder is not ending in the way that I had hoped. In November, our ministry learned that our second Director of Young Adults in one year is resigning. I spent most of November tearfully reflecting on the last six years and feeling afraid and unsettled of what the future holds.
But even in this season of petrifying uncertainty, I’ve clung to the fact that our God is Immanuel and so much bigger! Deuteronomy 31:8 speaks of the future we have with our God, Immanuel. We have a God who goes before us. He walks ahead of us as a guiding presence in the midst of the darkness and confusion. When we don’t know the way forward, He guides our steps as an ever-present light.
He also promises to be with us and never leave us. And while it seems like such a small promise, it is truly one of His greatest promises. To walk through life’s challenges without fear of abandonment is truly a gift. In the midst of our joys and our sorrows, He is there. He is present with us and sees us in and through it all. Our God is with us, and as a result, we do not need to hold on to our fear.
Admittedly, I am still in the process of learning to embrace this promise, but I choose to keep moving forward by faith with our God who is “striding ahead of you ...He won’t let you down; He won’t leave you. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t worry.” (The Message version)
Reflection:
What would it look like for you to embrace the promise of His presence?
What would you do differently if you lived life clinging to this truth?