He Will Never Leave You

God declared this promise to His people in various ways and times throughout His word.

Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. (Deuteronomy 31:6)

Moses relayed this promise to the people of Israel as they prepared to enter and conquer the promised land. The task before them was big. They would face giants. They would be afflicted and opposed by many enemies. But the LORD our God would go with them and so they need not fear anything.

They could go forward with the assurance of nothing less than the very word of Almighty God declaring that He would be with them and give them victory.

The promise echoes and continues the word God had spoken to Jacob generations before. When Jacob left his father’s house in the land of promise and began his journey to Padan-aram, God appeared to him in a dream and spoke to him many precious words. Among the promises is this:

And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. (Genesis 28:15)

For Jacob and for the people of Israel, God kept His promise. He brought them back into the land, He fulfilled His word, and He never left nor forsook them. And for His people in every age and place, the essence of the promise remains the same, He will not leave you nor forsake you.

“And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.” (Psalm 9:10)

The book of Hebrews was originally written to Hebrew Christians facing vast trials and tribulations. They possessed a rich heritage through their people, traditions, and Scriptures. But as followers of Jesus Christ, they experienced fierce persecution, rejection by their own families, loss of earthly goods, and martyrdom. In human terms, there were many hardships in their life and many reasons to be afraid.

However, as a people that the Son of God himself is not ashamed to call brethren, they were in possession of a treasure beyond all earthly value. They had the LORD. And with Him riches immeasurable: The forgiveness of sins, the resurrection from the dead, citizenship in the heavenly Jerusalem, fellowship with angels and the spirits of just men made perfect, a throne of grace, a new and better covenant, and a great High Priest who ever lives to make intercession.

We also, and all those in all ages who by grace belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, possess these treasures. Christians also, throughout the ages, face various trials, afflictions, and temptations. The Book of Hebrews encourages us, as it did its first recipients, to remain steadfast in the faith, to persevere, and to trust God, knowing that He will remain faithful and preserve us through all that we face.

Two immediate applications arise from the promise that God will never leave you nor forsake you.

First, Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have. Live your life free of all envy, free of the desire for what belongs to others. Rather, live with perfect contentment in what you have been given by God. Be thankful for what you have and walk through life with a spirit of gratitude.

This is possible because it is grounded on the truth that you have been given glorious riches and they cannot be taken away from you. Moth and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal earthly wealth. It is perishable and temporary. But God is forever, and he will not leave you.

Second, Fear not. This is presented in the next verse, immediately following the promise: So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. Be strong and of a good courage. Why? Because if the LORD is with you, you have nothing to fear from man.

There is nothing man can take from you that God cannot restore. Even death itself is no longer a terror. Jesus came to “deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage,” and many of those previously subject to bondage through fear of death, willingly laid down their lives as martyrs for the name of Jesus Christ.

God will never leave you nor forsake you. He has demonstrated this in countless ways throughout the ages, and proves it most definitely by giving His only begotten Son to die for your sins and rise again from the grave, victorious over death.

Be content with what you have. The same Heavenly Father who spared not His own Son for you, will also freely with him give you all things.

Be courageous and fear not. Jesus has already conquered the grave. If God is on your side, there is no reason to fear what man can do to you.

The strength and steadfastness of God’s love for His people is unbreakable. He truly will never leave or forsake His people.

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)