You
will never walk alone (3)
Scriptural
Text: Deuteronomy
31:6-8
“Be
strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of
them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you
nor forsake you.” Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him
in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous,
for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore
to their forefathers to give them, and you must divide it among
them as their inheritance. The Lord himself goes before you and
will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not
be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
Have
you ever felt alone and afraid in an unfamiliar place or situation
(e.g. like a new job) or facing a huge task ahead and wondering
how you are going to make it through?
Let
me comfort you with this. The Israelites were also caught in a similar
situation. The Israelites were led out of Egypt and freed from slavery
– but instead of arriving at the Promised Land, they had to
wait and fight before they could rightly possess what God had given
them.
Even
though the Israelites were many, they faced a multitude of enemies.
Many different nations did not want them there nor shared their
objectives. As a nation they were literally alone. Their leader
Moses was dying, and a new leader, Joshua, was to take over. The
question was: would Joshua be as good as Moses?
Don’t
be afraid of them and don’t be frightened
Well,
if you are feeling like this – miserable, lost and alone,
let me share with you what the Bible says in Deuteronomy 31:6: ‘Be
strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of
them, for the Lord your God goes before you, He will never leave
you or forsake you.’
Hold
fast to these words because you will never walk alone. Emmanuel
- God with us.
He
will not leave or forget you
Perhaps
you might ask – what if I have failed. What if I have let
God down? Then be reminded of the second part of the verse that
says, He will not leave you or forsake you.
God
does not forsake His children, but helps them stand right back up
again. Some Bble characters like Peter, Samson and David fell but
God helped them stand right back up again. He never left or abandoned
them when they repented and returned to Him. Nothing can separate
us from the love of God (Romans 8:8-9).
…to
occupy the land that is promised
Friends,
sometimes we feel that this life is difficult but God promises to
walk with us so we need not be afraid. He will never leave or abandon
us. He has promised that we will reach the Promised Land one day
– a place of eternal rest and we should look forward to it.
-
Ps Joel Yong
Prayer
Response
Dear
Lord Jesus, Thank you for your promise that you will never leave
me or abandon me. I know that I need not be afraid, for You are
with me and I do not walk alone. Let me learn to trust in You and
keep my eyes focused on You. Amen.