19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. Matthew 28:19-20 (NKJV)
By Bro. John L. Cash, “Country Preacher Dad”
Did you take a foreign language in high school or college? How much of it do you remember? If you’re like most folks I know, the phrases you remember from a foreign language are probably pretty limited. I studied some Spanish, and I can count to ten and ask where the rest room is.
My wife Susan studied French, and she can say “a little girl” and also “My name is Susan.” For all practical purposes, it would be just as effective to pay $1,000 to the university, memorize your two sentences, and be done with it. The end result would be about the same.
When you study for the ministry, they make you take classes in foreign languages—the Biblical languages. I studied Greek and Hebrew pretty extensively during my Bible college years, and yes, I really only have ready-recall of only a handful of sentences. But the end result in this case has really been so much more than mundane. The sentence I remember is life-changing and has shaped the way I strive to live each day.
Over 25 years ago, I was taking a course in New Testament Greek. We were translating from the gospel according to Matthew, and we came to the section commonly known as The Great Commission. (See the Scripture text at the top.) In this passage, Jesus is telling Christians what they’re supposed to do after He ascends into Heaven. We are instructed to go and make disciples of every nation, to baptize them, and then to teach them everything that Jesus commanded them. And, of course, it ends with a familiar promise—“Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age”.
Now, that’s a passage I had read and heard preached all my life. As I understood it, Jesus promised to be with the Church always. But as I looked at the verse for the first time in the original language, I saw it very differently. It was as if God had let a sunbeam from above illuminate my heart. For this is what I discovered: In the original language, Jesus says, “Lo, I am with you EVERY DAY, even to the end of the age.”
What a revelation from Heaven! Jesus is not only with us always, He is with us EVERY DAY! He is with us when we go to worship on Sunday but also on Monday when we get up and go to work. He is with us at Sunday School, but He is also with us on Wednesday at 2 AM when the baby is throwing up. He is with us at our times of prayer and Bible study but also on Thursday when we’re running late for school in rush hour traffic. Jesus Christ is with us every day—even until the end of the world.
Dear mamas, being a mom can be a lonely job. But remember that the Bible says you are never alone. Right now, whatever the circumstances, you can reach out to the Saviour, because He is with you—every day and always.
Dr. John L. Cash is the “Country Preacher Dad.” He was raised in Stuttgart, Arkansas, and is beginning his 25th year of being a country preacher in the piney woods five miles south of the little town of Hickory, Mississippi. He and his lovely wife, Susan, and his sons, Spencer (age 18) and Seth (age 15) live in the parsonage next door to the Antioch Christian Church (where we are always watching to see Jesus in our daily lives). You should write him at extramailbox@juno.com.
