He Left Us!

Jurassic Park easily makes my Top 10 list of favorite movies.  This scene, in particular, has one of those great “hero lines” as Dr. Grant tries to calm down Lex.  In case you haven’t seen this great film, here is why she is so upset:

Just a few minutes earlier, Lex and her brother, Tim, found themselves all alone in an SUV after the lone adult, Donald, abandoned them. What caused this adult to run in fear and leave the kids? A hungry T-Rex! It’s dark, raining, and now a T-Rex is free from its cage, standing over their SUV.

Lex is able to escape just before the dinosaur pushes their SUV over a ledge, but now Tim is trapped inside, hanging on for dear life in the canopy of a tree.  With her brother’s life in peril, all Lex can focus on is the fact that, “He [Donald] left us.” And in the smoothest, most reassuring way possible, Dr. Grant looks at Lex and says those infamous 7 words: “But that’s not what I’m gonna do.”

The Power of Presence

The power of presence can have a huge effect on our perspective.  Just knowing that someone is close by can change our outlook from bleak to hopeful.     

As I read Scripture, I’m reminded constantly of God’s promise to us of His presence.  I think about Joshua after the death of Moses, with the uncertainty he must have been feeling and the assurance God gave him when He said, “…be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9).”

Or how about the disciples after witnessing the death of Jesus and then the miracle of His resurrection? Some still doubted, but Jesus said in Matthew 28:20, “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Perfect Peace

That’s a powerful promise to hold onto. In our darkest moments, on the most painful of days, we can stand on the promise that the Lord our God will never leave us or abandon us.  

Paul writes to the Philippian church what the promise of the Lord’s presence really offers to us–peace.  “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7).”

If you are reading this today and would say that the current season you’re in is one of sadness, loss, difficulty, or despair, know that the promise of Jesus’ presence will keep you in perfect peace.  This peace eliminates the doubt of whether God is present and working in your life and moves you into a position of assurance that the Great I Am is right there with you.