The Never-forsaking God
What line of thinking do my thoughts take? Do I turn to what God says or to my own fears? Am I simply repeating what God says, or am I learning to truly hear Him and then to respond after I have heard what He says? “For He Himself has said, ’I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we may boldly say: ’The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’ ” (Hebrews 13:5-6).
“I will never leave you . . .”— not for any reason; not my sin, selfishness, stubbornness, nor waywardness. Have I really let God say to me that He will never leave me? If I have not truly heard this assurance of God, then let me listen again.
“I will never . . . forsake you.” Sometimes it is not the difficulty of life but the drudgery of it that makes me think God will forsake me. When there is no major difficulty to overcome, no vision from God, nothing wonderful or beautiful— just the everyday activities of life— do I hear God’s assurance even in these?
We have the idea that God is going to do some exceptional thing— that He is preparing and equipping us for some extraordinary work in the future. But as we grow in His grace we find that God is glorifying Himself here and now, at this very moment. If we have God’s assurance behind us, the most amazing strength becomes ours, and we learn to sing, glorifying Him even in the ordinary days and ways of life.
My prayer response:
Abba, I ask for your forgiveness because I dared to fear while you are near. Lord, open my eyes, my heart, I want to see you and hear you; and after hearing that I would respond to what you are saying. I thank you for this promise to me. “. . . I will never leave you nor forsake you.” What a word, what a promise. Thank you for this declaration, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear, What can man do to me?” That is a bold and confident statement I make under your authority.
Thank you for your word to me, “ . . . I will never leave you . . .” Not for any reason, period, name the reason, the sin, nor how broken I am, you won’t change your mind and walk away from me. Do you really love and care for me that much? Do you really mean this? The answer comes back, loudly and powerfully, YES! I mean every word of this statement and I will never change my mind about you. Jesus, when I forget (my memory seems so short) let me listen to this word again. “ . . . I will never . . . forsake you.” It is the ordinary, mundane things of life that make me think you have and will forsake me. I think, if I were ‘special” you wouldn’t forsake me. At this time in my life, there is nothing earthshaking, no cancer, etc., nothing wonderful and beautiful, just the ordinary, everyday activities of my ordinary life, even here you have given the assurance in this and these.
I too want, wish for and yes, the exceptional, extraordinary work in the future. Yet it is here in my ordinary everyday life that you speak to me and tell me you have given me grace and in that grace you are glorifying yourself, yes, here and now in the present moment. With this assurance behind me, I know I've been given the strength I wish I had; that you are “the Lord of the dance, You’re the dancing Lord, and you’re dancing over me!” Lord may I find my voice today and learn to sing and with gusto glorifying you even in the ordinary days and ways of this life you’ve given.
Welcome Holy Spirit to this new day and to each new day here after, open my thoughts to your living word within me. Thank you for loving someone so ordinary as myself. Thank you for being present in each moment and in the noise of my life, speaking powerfully and lovingly with this assurance so wonderfully that it stills the noise around me and I hear you saying the same words from the beginning, “I will leave you nor forsake you.”
Jesus you know I’ve been left and abandoned by some, but I am not to judge you by them. You haven’t changed your mind about me, THANK YOU!!! Amen!!!
Abba, I ask for your forgiveness because I dared to fear while you are near. Lord, open my eyes, my heart, I want to see you and hear you; and after hearing that I would respond to what you are saying. I thank you for this promise to me. “. . . I will never leave you nor forsake you.” What a word, what a promise. Thank you for this declaration, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear, What can man do to me?” That is a bold and confident statement I make under your authority.
Thank you for your word to me, “ . . . I will never leave you . . .” Not for any reason, period, name the reason, the sin, nor how broken I am, you won’t change your mind and walk away from me. Do you really love and care for me that much? Do you really mean this? The answer comes back, loudly and powerfully, YES! I mean every word of this statement and I will never change my mind about you. Jesus, when I forget (my memory seems so short) let me listen to this word again. “ . . . I will never . . . forsake you.” It is the ordinary, mundane things of life that make me think you have and will forsake me. I think, if I were ‘special” you wouldn’t forsake me. At this time in my life, there is nothing earthshaking, no cancer, etc., nothing wonderful and beautiful, just the ordinary, everyday activities of my ordinary life, even here you have given the assurance in this and these.
I too want, wish for and yes, the exceptional, extraordinary work in the future. Yet it is here in my ordinary everyday life that you speak to me and tell me you have given me grace and in that grace you are glorifying yourself, yes, here and now in the present moment. With this assurance behind me, I know I've been given the strength I wish I had; that you are “the Lord of the dance, You’re the dancing Lord, and you’re dancing over me!” Lord may I find my voice today and learn to sing and with gusto glorifying you even in the ordinary days and ways of this life you’ve given.
Welcome Holy Spirit to this new day and to each new day here after, open my thoughts to your living word within me. Thank you for loving someone so ordinary as myself. Thank you for being present in each moment and in the noise of my life, speaking powerfully and lovingly with this assurance so wonderfully that it stills the noise around me and I hear you saying the same words from the beginning, “I will leave you nor forsake you.”
Jesus you know I’ve been left and abandoned by some, but I am not to judge you by them. You haven’t changed your mind about me, THANK YOU!!! Amen!!!
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