We should expect more from our faith than mere repentance or good behaviour. Paul stumbled on a group of individuals who had been baptized by John the Baptist - for repentance. They were leading a moral and upright life, but something was missing. When they received baptism in the name of Jesus, their lives changed. They were filled with God's spirit and were able to pray in tongues and prophesy. There is a temptation to take our baptism for granted and forget that through this baptism Jesus wants to share with us who and what he is - in other words, to empower us spiritually.

It is terrible to feel alone and abandoned but especially when we feel the absence of God. Jesus told his disciples that a time of persecution, fear, and chaos was coming soon and they would all scatter. Jesus would be left alone - and yet he insisted that he would not be alone because he was so close to God the Father. In the same way we are never alone - God and the Lord Jesus are always with us. When we suffer the most and feel the most fear is when God is closest to us. When God is with us no real harm can come to us regardless of what happens.