After a day of three 2-hour lectures, I sat in my room in the school hostel, just wondering what sort of life this was. I began to compose a song, as I usually do whenever I am reflexive. In my mind, the song would start with someone warning me not to go back to school for my postgraduate studies, while I would remain obstinate, saying: E fi mi sile, maa lo; maa lo (meaning ‘Leave me alone; I’ll go’). Then, I would go on to sing about how the programme had all gone wrong for me.

I wasn’t happy. Things weren’t supposed to be that difficult; after all, I had my bachelor’s degree from the same institution and department. I felt alone, lonely, and was getting depressed. I looked up to heaven (represented by the ceiling of my room) and said: ‘God, I need Your help’. As I brought my face down, my gaze landed on a demarcating wall on which was pasted the crest of my favourite football club (Liverpool FC); not so much the image, but a motto written on it:

You’ll Never Walk Alone.

I thought about that statement; it sounded very familiar. Perhaps, it was a movie title; a song maybe. Then my mind travelled to Matthew 28:20; I picked up my Bible and noticed 20b:  ‘...and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.’ (NKJV). I pondered on it, letting the truth in those words sink into my very soul. It was a seed sown by God in a time of great need; a seed which has continually grown till now. It literarily changed my life.

Whenever we face any unpleasant situation, the devil tries to make us think that we are alone and lonely in our trials. This way, we think we are disadvantaged, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. He tries to isolate us in our troubles so that we would not seek help from others, by feeding us with such lies as “It’s always you; trouble follows you everywhere you go; you never finish anything you start; there’s no need telling anyone, they will never understand you; they will just give you unrealistic counsel from the Bible”. We would believe those lies rather  than the truth which says ‘No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. 1 Cor 10:13 (NKJV)

No matter what we go through, let it be rooted in our hearts that God is always with us, if we’re with Him. This is also significantly, a Promise that His PRESENCE will never leave us. There are several other people going through your exact situation, believer or not, but we are a kingdom of priests, a family of believers; it’s God’s Presence that makes the difference. Hence, be assured that, as Don Moen put it, ‘When the oceans rise and the thunders roar’, God’s Presence will always be with us. This knowledge will give us the strength, peace, and joy that enable us to emerge victorious. Always remember:

You’ll Never Walk Alone.