The Matthew 28:19 Project

Failure is something every one of us will face. No matter who we are, how skilled we may be, or how much we have, life eventually brings disappointment. I’ve been reflecting lately on how much of our lives revolve around learning to handle those moments when things simply don’t go the way they should. It doesn’t matter whether it occurs in our professional or personal lives; sometimes, the world simply doesn’t operate fairly. There are times when life isn’t fair, and those moments can leave us questioning how we’re supposed to handle it.

Just yesterday, a coworker of mine was going through a difficult situation, and I told her something I truly believe: even though the system failed, she did not. She advocated to the best of her ability for someone who needed her, and she made a meaningful impact on that person’s life. She believed in her when no one else did, stood up for her when others wouldn’t, and stayed by her side when no one else was there. That isn’t failure, that’s courage. My coworker stood strong even when the odds were clearly stacked against her.

We experience failure all the time, but do you know who has not, will not, and never will fail us? God.

Pastor Buddy’s sermon this week focuses on remaining faithful during seasons of uncertainty, and it couldn’t be more timely. I didn’t fully realize how perfectly God had been weaving things together until this morning, while I was lying in bed thinking about what happened with my coworker and about the next blog post I needed to write. Those two thoughts kept bouncing back and forth in my mind until it suddenly clicked: the message Pastor Buddy was about to preach fit perfectly with everything I had been thinking about.

God is sneaky like that.

I had been praying all week for direction on what my next blog post should be, trying to figure it out on my own, and all along, He had already been putting the pieces together in a way far better than anything I could have planned.

My God is an awesome God.

When life throws us a curveball, or things don’t go the way we expected, it can be tempting to ignore the situation, pretend it didn’t happen, or even withdraw, hide away, and wait for life to get easier. But faith calls us to do something different. We stand tall. We stay strong. We move forward with courage, not because life is easy, but because God is with us. He rarely reveals every detail of what lies ahead, but He always promises His presence. Because of that promise, we can keep moving forward step by step, walking by faith with strength and courage, knowing He walks beside us.

This encouragement echoes throughout Scripture. As Israel prepared to enter the Promised Land, Moses told the people, “Be strong and of good courage… for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6). When Joshua was getting ready to lead Israel, he faced great uncertainty. The responsibility was enormous, and he was understandably scared. You could even say the odds were against him. Still, God kept reminding him, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9). Years later, David gave the same charge to his son Solomon: “Be strong and of good courage; do not fear nor be dismayed” (1 Chronicles 22:13). The message has not changed, and it still speaks to us today.

God continues to remind His people that they are never alone, and they can be strong and courageous, even when facing tough odds. Hebrews 13:5 tells us, “For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” Isaiah echoes this promise: “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10). And Jesus Himself reassured His followers with these words: “I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

When life feels unfair, when the odds are stacked against us, when disappointments come, and when we face moments that look like failure, faith calls us to stand strong, trust deeply, and keep moving forward with courage. We do this not because the road is easy, but because God walks with us every step of the way. And the God who walks with us is the God who will never leave us, never forsake us, and never fail us.