The Lord will guide you continually,     and satisfy your needs in parched places,     and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden,     like a spring of water,     whose waters never fail. (Isaiah 58:11)

Dear brothers & sisters in Christ,

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ the Lord and Savior. Amen.

Compared to other months of the year, August is often relatively hot and dry. (Of course, this year, the dry at least might be a nice change.) We also all have times in our lives when we can feel ‘dry’ spiritually. Whether it comes from busyness, turmoil, illness, grief, boredom, or exhaustion, there are times when we feel isolated from the Lord and/or the people of God. These episodes are inevitable. Life has ups and downs and a myriad of different cycles and experiences. Our faith also runs the gamut as outside forces work upon us day to day.

It is vital to hear the promise in Christ in those times. In fact, it is precisely in those ‘dry’ periods that we need to hear God’s promise the most. Even when we feel alone, He does not leave us. God made a new covenant in Christ and He is true to His promise. God has shown us that He is willing to go to extremes to stay with us. He is willing to die in order to give us life.

You have been given this promise. The words Paul wrote to the Romans are also a reminder for you. ^“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39) During the beginnings of persecution, those words renewed the hope of the Christians in Rome. During your times of doubt, fear, or isolation, they give you hope as well. This promise surpasses not only all understanding, but also time and space. The promise of life in Christ is granted for this life and the next. There are no conditions nor termination dates.

Jesus coupled the commissioning of His disciples with the promise of His abiding presence: ^“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”” (Matthew 28:19-20)

Jesus also sends you out into the world. He sends you with His everlasting promise of abiding love, strength, guidance, and authority. God grants you not only your needs and His kingdom that cannot be shaken. The grace and peace of God which surpass all understanding keep your hearts and minds in the crucified and risen Christ Jesus through all the seasons of the year and your life. Amen.

In Christ,

Pastor Carla

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks, by which we offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe; (Hebrews 12:28)