“…God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you’” (Hebrews 13:5, NIV).

I heard Steve Brown on the radio telling about the ugliest car he had ever seen. It had a large gash on its side; the door was held together with bailing wire; many places on the car were rusted out. The muffler was loose and, with every bump, was hitting the street sending sparks in every direction. It was hard to tell the original color of the car. The rust had eaten away much of the original paint, and so much of the car had been painted over with so many different colors that any one of them, or none of them, could have been the first coat. The most interesting thing about the car was the bumper sticker. It read: “This is not an abandoned car.”

We live in a fallen world. It is ugly and depressing. Everywhere we turn we find tragedy and heartache. We are sitting on the verge of disaster. But it is not just the world. It’s us. Sometimes the effort to keep on keeping on doesn’t seem worth it. Guilt, loneliness, hurt and fear become constant companions. One wonders sometimes if any of it makes any difference. One wonders if anyone, especially God cares. But a long time ago, in a manger, a baby was born. It was a sign. It read: “This is not an abandoned world.”

When Jesus came, God gave us the assurance that He had not abandoned us. He visited our planet letting us know that He was involved and that He cared. What the angel said to the shepherds was the same thing God is saying to us today, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11, NIV).

Even though we may not understand all that is happening to us and to our world, the free will of man has taken us down a road that most of us wish we did not have to travel, but we are in good hands. There is no panic in heaven; God is still in control of our world. While circumstances may indicate panic at every turn, God came to us to say that He can understand the complexities of humanity and will touch people where they hurt the most. “This is not an abandoned world.”

Proof that the world has not been abandoned lies in the little Babe of Bethlehem, the greatest gift the world has ever witnessed. We all know that you do not have a gift unless you accept it. God will never make us do anything, but He allows us the choice to accept Him as our Lord and Savior or go our own way.

It is our prayer that, if you have not already done so, that you will accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior and experience the joy of a personal relationship with the Living God who “…so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, NIV).

May the joy and peace of Jesus fill your hearts and minds all year through.

Sam Molind, DMD
Emeritus Director of Global Health Outreach