“When you walk through a storm hold your head up high, and don’t be afraid of the dark. At the end of a storm is a golden sky, and the sweet silver song of a lark. Walk on through the wind. Walk on through the rain, though’ your dreams be tossed and blown. Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart and you’ll never walk alone,You’ll never, ever walk alone.”

Often times in our Christian lives we feel that we are walking alone. Not only are we walking alone, but when it comes to following the direction of God, we feel that we are standing alone. We feel as if there is no one who will stand beside us. We just feel alone. I am going to go out on a limb and say that this feeling of standing alone is common among the eight billion people in the world. As Christians we think that everyone should agree with us on any and everything spiritual. We think all believers should be on our “standing for Jesus” bandwagon. This just isn’t the truth. In reality, it is often just you and Jesus who have to walk side by side and stand for what you believe to be true.

There have been recent times in my life where I knew that God had called me to do certain things and to go certain places. Other Christians had a very hard time dealing with this. They could not understand why, if everything seemed to be going fine where I was, that God would tell me to move and change directions. They doubted that I could talk to and hear from the Lord myself and that His will for my life was what their idea of His will for my life was and should be. They could not be more wrong.

If the Lord directs you to do something then we should be obedient and follow His directions. Sure, the Lord will take you out of your comfort zone from time to time. Yes, He may ask you to pick up and move leaving everything you have ever known your whole life behind. He may direct you to a different church, to a different job, and for some, even a different state or country. Christians so often want to dictate to other Christians the direction and calling of their lives. Most do this out of a desire for control. God is the only one who should control us. It is up to those that are placed in positions of Spiritual authority over us such as, Pastors, to give us direction after much prayer and discussion with Christ.

My point in saying all of this is there will be times where we must Stand Alone; never without Christ of course, but often without a crowd of others standing with us. I am going to give you some Scripture to paint the big picture of our subject.

In II Timothy 4:16-17, Apostle Paul gives us a prime example of Standing Alone. Paul is writing to Timothy and expressing the need, throughout this Epistle to, “Preach the Word, Be Instant In Season and Out of Season” and how to be a faithful servant to a faithful Lord. Toward the closing of chapter four Paul writes in verses 16 and 17: “At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray that it may not be laid to their charge. Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.” Here we see Paul standing alone with Jesus. His friends at the first call when he needed them had departed from him, according to verse 10, ” Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.” When Paul needed someone to stand with him ,at the beginning, to fight the good fight of faith and to support him, they were no where to be found. According to Paul’s testimony, “at my first answer no man stood with me…” except “…the Lord stood with me…” Luke was mentioned as being present with Paul at the end. Again, note Paul stated, “at my first answer no man stood with me.” On our journey’s in life there may even come a point to where it’s just us and Jesus.

Another great example of Standing Alone is in Matthew 14. Here we find Christ walking on the water. Peter answered the Lord from the boat in verse 28 and said ” …Lord, if it be thou, bid me to come unto thee on the water.” The Lord said “Come” to Peter and Peter then stepped out of the boat onto the ocean waves. We all know how the story goes. Peter stepped out at first faith, keeping his eyes on Jesus. Then after looking around at the waves and wind he took his eyes of Jesus and began to sink. Now there were other disciples in the boat. We do not read of any of them stepping out on faith with Peter. Nor do we read of any of them jumping in the water to save Peter from drowning. In verse 31 it reads, ” And immediately Jesus stretched forth His hand, and caught him…” Peter, though failing the test, had to take those first steps of faith all alone. No disciples joined him and no disciples helped him. Only Jesus intervened.

Do not be afraid to Stand Alone for Jesus. Do not be afraid to Stand Alone for what He has ordered you to do. Listen to His voice. Listen to His directions and be obedient. Christ will be a faithful friend to us and praise God it’s just not at the end that He will show up on the scene but that He is ever present with us.

~Blessings~