In Genesis 28:15, God is speaking to Jacob through a dream. He said to him, “Look, I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go. I will bring you back to this land, for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Now that’s a confidence booster! To know that the God of heaven is with you, and watching out for you, and is working to fulfill His promise through you – Wow! Can you imagine how Jacob must have felt with this reassurance from the Lord? I imagine that he felt confident and unbeatable. Wouldn’t you? Or more to the point: Do you feel that same way? If not, I want to encourage you to think about this: Jesus said that He will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5).
God’s presence is something that we have been promised and something upon which we can depend. Hebrews 13:8 tells us that Jesus (God) is unchanging; if He is with you today, He will be with you tomorrow. (Of course, the exception to this is that we can leave Him – but He won’t reject us as long as we follow Him.) Deuteronomy 31:6 exhorts us, “Be strong and courageous; don’t be terrified or afraid of them. For it is the Lord your God who goes with you; He will not leave you or forsake you.” The apostle Paul observed, “I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6). Time and again, the Lord reassures us of His abiding presence and the hope that He provides thereby.
Listen, my friends: If you feel lonely or deserted; if you feel defeated, persecuted, or misunderstood; if you feel like an outcast, or if you question whether or not God is even with you any longer – He will NEVER leave you, nor forsake you! Read that again. And again. Let it sink in beyond the message of this world…down to your spirit. He will never leave you, dear one. So take a breath. Calm down. Have faith. Take one day at a time. It is going to be okay in the end. Just keep following Jesus. Jesus is right for whatever is wrong in your life.
Jesus loves you, and so do I!
~ Chaplain Brian Stephens