You'll Never Walk Alone

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.