We Are Not Alone

Our scriptures today from Acts, the Psalms, First Peter, and John highlight one central message. God does not leave us to journey through life alone. God knows us, leads us, and supports us, always. We have the Shepherd in the Psalms who is with us in the valley, and Christ as Shepherd who calls us into an abundant life. Peter does not let us forget that we will suffer, but Christ is with us. We see a community in Acts that brings to life the practice of a newborn Christianity.
Peter tells us: “If you endure when you do right and suffer for it, you have God’s approval.” There is injustice. There is pain. There are times when doing the right thing does not lead to good things, but hardship.
There are moments in life when we carry burdens we did not choose, when we are misunderstood, or when kindness is not returned. I think this is one of the challenging facts of real life. We expect some kind of gratitude, maybe a little reward, but then it seems punishment comes instead. Honesty and truth, can get us in hot water. Life is just not fair we may complain.
Peter points us to Jesus, encouraging us to trust him in our misery and distress. —“By his wounds you have been healed.” We are to move through our suffering, trusting Jesus, and not let it have the final word.
Psalm 23 is so familiar that we can almost miss how striking it really is. “The Lord is my shepherd… I shall not want.” That’s not spoken from a place of comfort. It’s spoken from a life that has walked through valleys—real valleys, “the valley of the shadow of death.”
The voice of the psalmist is saying: “You are with me. ”Not “you kept me from the valley,” but “you are with me in it.” We know this to be true! Many of us have been in that valley, wishing, praying we weren’t there. But that’s where we can find ourselves. God is with us, even if we don’t know it.
And then Jesus, in John’s Gospel, makes the Psalm current. “I am the gate… I am the good shepherd.” He contrasts himself with voices that steal and harm. Voices that sound persuasive, even religious at times—but do not lead to life. Watch out for them. They were loud then and loud today. Beware.
Jesus reassures us saying, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” We are not just to survive or get through life, but we are to have a full and secure existence in our relationship with God.
Psalm 23 and John 10 tell us who God is—a shepherd who leads and stays with us—Acts shows us what happens when people begin to trust that.
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. It is a description of how our lives as Christians are to be lived. Gathering, sharing, eating, and praying together...
The early Christians cared for one another so that no one was left alone in their need. Can we be this for each other today? In our world where suffering is so real, God challenges us.
Acts, Psalms, and John come together to offer practical guidance for life.
Peter reminds us: the world can wound us. The Psalm reminds us: God stays with us. Jesus reminds us: his voice leads us to life. Acts reminds us: we do not walk this path alone. And underneath it all is a quiet but powerful truth—Faith is not simply about believing the right things. It is about living a new reality in Christ Jesus
Jesus, doesn’t just offer salvation, he brings together a flock, a community. And that matters, especially when life feels uncertain or heavy. Yes, the Shepherd knows your voice. Yes, God walks with you through your valleys, but God also places you in a community where others walk with you too.
A place where, when your faith feels thin, someone else holds it with you.
Where, when you are hurting, healing comes not only from above, but through the care of others. Abundance is not measured by what we have alone, but by what we share together. Jesus encourages us to create and embrace an authentic, faithful community like that in Acts. This is why we are here together today. Amen?
We are to show up, share what we have. pray, even when the words are hard to find and care for one another in small, tangible ways. This is how we become the body of Christ. Whether in a church building or out on the lawn.
If we do this, we will have the quiet assurance, that Blessed assurance that we are not alone. We are being led by the Shepherd who is with us always. This is the amazing good news of Jesus Christ. Thanks be to God. Amen.