You’ll Never Walk Alone

By Dean Collins

I remember accompanying my high school chorus teacher as she sang Rodgers and Hammerstein’s beloved song, “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” There were many moist eyes in the audience at commencement that day. It's a beautiful song of hope and resilience that was written less than a month before Nazi Germany’s surrender. Recording artists and choirs across the country still perform this inspirational song.

"You’ll Never Walk Alone" has inspired many to hang in there during the various challenges of life. However, our real hope and strength is much deeper and permanent than this Broadway tune. We can walk on through the storm because our Father in heaven walks every step of the way with us. We do not get by on our strength, but rather in the strength and promises of Scripture that remind us we are truly never alone. Here are just three verses of scripture that remind us of God’s presence with us at all times:

“Have I not commanded you? 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

“fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” –Isaiah 41:10

“… And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”” –Matthew 28:20 ESV

In Ephesians 4, we find additional assurances that we are never alone as we live out our calling. Paul urges us to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which we have been called. To walk in a manner worthy of our calling as God’s children requires that we walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh. Walking with the Spirit of God living in us means, first, that we aren’t walking alone, and second, that we now have the capacity to live aligned with God. Note the similarities between verse 2 of Ephesians 4 and Paul’s description of the fruit of the spirit in Galatians 5:

“…with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” –Ephesians 4:2

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,” –Galatians 5:22

Filled with the spirit of God, we can walk in unison with God and fulfill the purposes of God in our lives. But there is more. The apostle Paul makes in clear in his other writings, and clearly here in the fourth chapter of Ephesians, that we also walk in unity with each other as brothers and sisters in God’s family.

When we read the headlines or listen to various forms of media, we are bombarded by the amount of division in the country and around the world. It appears that there isn’t a path forward without hostility, anger, and division. But in God’s great love, he sent his son Jesus, who forgives us of our sins, fills us with his Spirit, calls us together as his family, and gives us the capacity to maintain unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. But this cannot happen unless each of us choose to follow our calling in Christ.

Hear the word of the Lord delivered through the apostle Paul:

“There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.”

Imagine the transformation we would see in our communities, our country, and around the world if we, the called of God, would embrace the unity that is possible and was planned before the world was ever created.

Galatians 5 reminds us that we are to “keep in step with the Spirit.” But this is impossible unless we are willing to daily surrender to Jesus. And when believers walk in step with the Spirit, we will see a unity in the church that draws nonbelievers away from the solutions of the world which can never truly satisfy.

Father, thank you for making it possible that we would never have to walk alone. Thank you that Jesus walked that lonesome road to the cross that we might be saved from the penalty of our sins and reconciled with you forever. Thank you for teaching us that we can walk in unison with you and with each other as we surrender ourselves daily. Unite us and use us for your glory. In Jesus's name, amen.

Your Time with God’s Word
Ephesians 4:1-7; Galatians 5:24-26 ESV

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
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