YOU’LL NEVER WALK ALONE
A well known song often sung before soccer matches worldwide.
The song, originally from the 1945 musical Carousel, has become an anthem for Liverpool Football Club, adopted after a number one hit by Gerry and the Pacemakers in the 1960s. It took on even deeper meaning for the club and its fans after the Hillsborough disaster in 1989.
“You’ll Never Walk Alone” - a song about solidarity, hope, and perseverance in the face of adversity, reminding all of us that we’re not alone in our struggles - we can all find strength in unity and togetherness.
It’s a powerful expression of human connection, resilience, and community.
When you’re all alone how do you feel?
Have you ever felt abandoned, helpless and hopeless? Many people do!
The fear of being vulnerable, lost without human contact – it can be terrifying.
We might think of or even be a person with no friends or family.
A traveller, lost in an unfamiliar place.
The elderly person housebound and craving for a visit, or for their carer to arrive.
Just a phone call but it never arrives.
Sadly many people can feel very alone even in a crowd or within their own family or church! Are we sensitive enough to realise that the person next to us could be desperate for a friendly glance or a word of hope?
Are you always at ease when you’re alone?
How about being all alone when you’re ill or disabled.
Can you cope? Can you call on someone to come to you and help? Or might you have to struggle on alone, anxious for your own safety?
Well; God would remind you today and every day: “You’ll never walk alone!” Let’s read what the scriptures say about it.
Read: John 14v1-27 Note: John 14v27
NLT paraphrase: I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a peace the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.
Quote: “Peace that Jesus gives is not the absence of trouble but is rather the confidence that He is there with you always.” Anon.
Charles Wesley verse 6 of his hymn “How do Thy mercies close me round.
I rest beneath the Almighty’s shade,
My griefs expire, my troubles cease;
Thou, Lord, on whom my soul is stayed,
Wilt keep me still in perfect peace.
Wesley lived in the certainty that he was never alone because God was always with him in his personal life, in his ministry, and at all times. He knew, and multitudes of Christians know that they never walk alone.
You and I can be certain that we will never walk alone, whatever is happening, wherever we are and however we feel.
2 Thessalonians 3:16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.
So many times in the Old and New testaments we can read the wonderful promises that God will not forsake us or abandon us.
Even at times when it seems we are all alone in deep trouble God is with us.
True, his presence may be unseen, unheard, not even experienced, but he’s still there surrounding us just like the air that we breathe, invisible, unfelt, silent, but life sustaining.
Matt 8v23 - The Sea of Galilee was notorious for sudden violent storms coming almost without warning. The disciples were with Jesus in the boat crossing this sea when one of these storms arose and threatened to sink the boat. Seasoned sailors terrified, fearing for their lives. And Jesus was with them asleep, at peace in the storm.
With one command Jesus brought peace into the situation, the sea calmed, fear was subdued, faith had been tested and found wanting.
The disciples were not alone, even when Jesus was silent and appearing to be asleep.
They feared for their lives but they were sailing with Jesus – Jesus the bringer of peace. Jesus with total power over any storm.
And so we look at John 14 with its encouragements, its challenges to faith and the great promise that we will never walk alone in our lives of faith.
There are three aspects to the Divine presence for every believer, corresponding to the three persons of the divine trinity. Our heavenly Father, our Saviour Jesus, God’s Holy Spirit dwelling in our innermost being.
The 3-fold presence with us - promising we will never walk alone through the joys, the sorrows and the storms of life.
The Father
In first part of our reading from John14 Jesus was speaking to his troubled and bewildered disciples. He was going away and leaving them! But he focussed their thoughts not on loss but on God’s provision for their future. God had many rooms (mansions) awaiting them.
There wasn’t loss and confusion; but the promise of a guaranteed future because God was and still is in full control of it all despite appearances to the contrary.
The disciples and the Israelites would know their law and writings of the prophets very well concerning God being with them, even when they didn’t understand and things appeared very frightening. Throughout the Old Testament the presence of God went with his people and with the leaders.
How many times words like:
Fear not, I am with you, Take courage, Stand firm, are there in the scriptures to allay fears and encourage us to seek out the presence of God in our hearts and in our circumstances?
There’s that encouraging verse in Isaiah 41v10:
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Then there’s God’s rebuke and encouragement to Jacob (an address to the whole nation of Israel):
Isaiah 40:27-31 Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God”? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
When Jesus said to the disciples, Trust in God; trust also in Me, He was probably giving a command, not merely a statement (see NIV marg.). Death need not be a terror to them because Jesus was leaving to prepare a place for them in heaven, the Father’s house.
Many of the Old Testament Leaders were written about as “walking with God”. They lived in God’s presence through all the difficulties, rejections and victories.
God’s presence never failed them.
Will trials, rejections, whatever assails us – will that dim our faith? Will it bring dark clouds obscuring God’s presence through it all?
Or will we be able to catch a glimpse of God’s presence and light through the clouds of fear, doubt and uncertainty?
Know this:
Be not dismayed whate’er betide,
God will take care of you;
Beneath His wings of love abide,
God will take care of you.
The Son
You have the presence of God our Heavenly Father ensuring you will never walk alone.
But even more you have the presence of your Saviour Jesus with you also.
In v6 we read that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.
We know He’s in heaven now, seated at God’s right hand; interceding for us. But we still have His words printed in our Bibles, living words rooted deep in our hearts. They’re living and growing day by day as we live in their light.
His ways, the Kingdom ways, are set before us; the truth of God’s character, especially love mercy and grace are made clear as we read.
The way to Godly living and eternal life are open to us all. We can have no doubt that the only way to God and salvation are through Jesus.
Peter the disciple had no doubt even amongst all his confusion and misunderstanding. He knew Jesus was the way to life eternal.
John 6:68-9 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”
We believe, we know that Jesus is a living reality that shapes our faith, our character, and our relationship with God. This presence with each of us isn’t just a vague feeling, it’s transformative. It’s the light and rain that feeds our faith and inner motives so that we grow in our spiritual lives and wisdom.
The oak tree begins as a tiny seedling, but with the sunshine, rain and nutrients from the soil it grows into a mighty tree. So it is with our Christian lives; rhe smallest seed of faith from God, taking root deep within our hearts, nourished and fed by God’s word and prayer, will ensure growth of faith, trust, wisdom and maturity.
How do we catch hold of Jesus presence?
Daily through immersion in the scriptures, through prayer, through life experiences, through fellowship, through worship, -- the list goes on! So much more we could consider but some of the words translated by Edward Caswall from a 12th century hymn may sum up the presence of Jesus in our present day lives.
Jesus, the very thought of Thee
With sweetness fills my breast;
But sweeter far Thy face to see,
And in Thy presence rest.
O Hope of every contrite heart,
O Joy of all the meek,
To those who fall, how kind Thou art!
How good to those who seek!
Jesus, our only Joy be Thou,
As Thou our Prize wilt be;
Jesus, be Thou our Glory now,
And through eternity.
The Holy Spirit
You have the presence of God our Heavenly Father ensuring you will never walk alone.
You also have the presence of your Saviour Jesus with you in everyday life.
But even more we have the Holy Spirit of the Living God to guide, correct and teach us. In John 14v15-18 Jesus promised the Holy Spirit would come to all believers.
“If you love me, you will obey what I command.
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him or knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”
The disciples had a face-to-face presence with Jesus; they had his perfect counsel to instruct and guide them. In the future Jesus wouldn’t be with them in person but the Holy Spirit would come to them as a counsellor or guide. The Greek Parakletos translated as advocate, comforter, consoler, intercessor, and in the NIV Counsellor.
To the disciples Jesus had been a counsellor, a guide, a friend, while he was with them. He had instructed them, had understood their prejudices and ignorance, and he personally encouraged to them in times of confusion and despair. But he was about to leave them alone in an unfriendly world. The Counsellor would come to the disciples and ultimately to all Christians. The word “comforter” is frequently used by Greek writers to denote an advocate in a court; one who intercedes; a teacher, an assistant, a helper.
The Holy Spirit (one part of the Trinity) ensures we will never walk alone or flounder alone when we don’t understand or are opposed or ridiculed for our faith. We must never forget that the Holy Spirit is present always within our deepest being.
Obscured only by our disobedience to God’s commands, by our sin, or by our despair in difficulty, grief and sorrow.
Like the sun obscured by dark storm clouds in the sky - as the clouds lift, the sun shines through once again. So never allow anything to obscure or hinder the work and presence of the Holy Spirit in your deepest hearts. He will shine through as you believe and hold onto the promises of God – especially the promises when God has said “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Or “Fear not for I am with you.”
Threefold cords
In Ecclesiastes 4v12 we can read: “A threefold cord is not quickly broken.”
In a rope made of many cords twisted together, these cords grip on each other under load tightening and strengthening the rope to hold fast and not break.
You and I have the threefold presence of God in our lives to hold us steady, guide us through our lives, support us in our Christian work and protect us from the Adversary. What a tremendous strength we have already within us.
No matter what may be the test,
God will take care of you;
Lean, weary one, upon His breast,
God will take care of you.
God will take care of you,
Through every day, over all the way;
He will take care of you,
God will take care of you.
Civilla & W S Martin c 1905
When you walk through a storm
Hold your head up high
And don’t be afraid of the dark
At the end of the storm
There’s a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of the 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 walk alone
Read John 14V27: (ESV)
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you.
Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
You’ll never walk alone.
