Books: You are Never Alone. Max Lucado

I am with you always, to the end of the age.

You are Never Alone

Max Lucado

• Life happens when we believe.
• We find strength beyond our strength
• We accomplish tasks beyond our wisdom.
• Belief is not some respectful salute to a divine being. Belief happens when we place our confidence in God. It is the decision to lean entirely upon the strength of a living and loving savior.
• The final promise of Christ before he ascended to heaven, he assured his friends.
  • “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)
• John’s gospel should be viewed as samples from God’s playbook.
• Open your heart to the reality that the greatest force in the universe is One who means you well and brings you hope.
• You’re stronger than you think because God is closer than you know.
• “That you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.” (John 20:31)
  • Jesus is our Savior if we let Him be.
  • What matters to us matters to Jesus
  • Jesus want you to know that you can take your needs, all of your needs, to Him.
• “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” (Phillipians 4:6)
  • In everything, not just the big things… let your requests be known to God.

• Be specific in your requests to God.
  • God prepares unique blessings for unique situations. The challenge you ace becomes a canvas upon which Christ can demonstrate His finest world. Offer a simple prayer and entrust the problem to Jesus.
• Something powerful happens when we present our needs to Jesus and trust Him to do what is right. He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think (Ephesians 3:20)
• Life has its share of dard, dark moments. Christ will not remove all the pain this side of heaven.
• In the Bible you will not find any promise of a pain-free life on this side of death.
  • But you will find this assurance…”Never will I leave you. Never will I forsake you.”
• God is our “ever present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1)
  • Always. Not sometimes. As near as your next breath. Closer than you skin.
  • “If I make my bed in the depths, you are there.” (Psalm 46:1)
  • The depths might mean addiction, prison, depression… anything that brings up pain.
  • Jesus is always present to help us. 
  • It may not come in the manner that we requested, or as quickly as you want, but it will come.
  • Assume that something good is going to happen. The door to tomorrow is unlocked from the inside. Turn the know and step out.

• God is an artist and the earth is His studio. Every person is one of his creative projects.Every event on earth is part of a great mural. God is not finished with us yet. We are works in progress.
• Let Jesus guide us home.
• Life feels stuck when life makes no progress. When you battle the same discouragement you faced a decade ago or struggle with the same fears you faced a year ago. When you wake up to the same hang ups and habits.
  • Jesus walks toward you in the midst of it. He has a new version of you waiting to happen.
  • Stand up. Do something. Take action.
  • Make a clean break with the past.
  • And walk. Lace up your boots and hit the trail. Assume something good is going to happen.
  • Getting unstuck means getting excited about getting out.
• “I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord. “Plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
• God’s help, while ever present, is always specific. It is not ours to say what God will do. Our job is to believe He will do something. It simply falls to us to stand up, take up and walk.
• “See you have been made well. Sin no more lest a worse thing come upon you.” John 5:14
  • To indulge in inertia is to sin. Stagnant, do nothingness is deemed a serious offense.
• God is always ready to write a new chapter in your story, but we have to get up and take action.

Chapter 5:

• If you see your troubles as opportunities to trust God and His ability to multiply what you give Him, then even the smallest incidents take on significance.
• Count first on Christ. He can help you do the impoosible. You simply need to give Him what you have and watch Him work.
• God can take a small thing and make it a big thing.
  • All you have is a wimpy prayer? Give it.
  • All you have is a meager skill? Use it.
  • All you have is an apology? Offer it.
  • All you have is strength for 1 step? Take it.
• It’s not for you and me to tell Jesus our gift is too small.
• The next time you feel overwhelmed, remind yourself of God standing next to you. You aren’t alone or without help.
• You may feel outnumbered or overwhelmed, but God doesn’t. Give Him what you have, offer thanks, and He will go to work.

Chapter 6:

• Jesus comes in the midst of the storm.
• All of us will face our share of storms. No one get through life scot-free.
• Storms can dominate our lives as we have no authority over the squalls of life.
• Before Jesus still the storms, He comes to us in the midst of our storms.
• Isaiah 43:1-3,5…. Don’t be afraid, I’ve redeemed you. Don’t be afraid, I’m with you.

Chapter 7

• From heavens viewpoint our earth is populated by sightless people.
  • Blinded by ambition, pride, success.
  • “Though seeing, they do not see.” Matthew 13:13
  • They do not see the meaning of life or the love of God.
• Billions of people simply cannot see.
  • “The devil who rules this world has blinded the minds of those who do not believe. They cannot see the light of the Good News. The Good News about the glory of Christ, who is exactly like God.” Corinthians 4:4
• We have different seasons throughout our lives.
• Jesus is in hot pursuit of the spiritually blind.
• Apart from Christ, we are blind. We cannot see our purpose, we cannot see the future, we cannot see our way out of problems and pain. We cannot see Jesus.
• It is not God’s will that we grope blindly through life. He wants us to know why we are here on earth and where we are going.
  • He will do whatever it takes to help us to see how to see.

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