If you had to asked me if I had a favorite Bible verse or passage, I’d be inclined to say, “the last one I read.” A bit cheeky, I know. But, even so, there’s a lot of truth to this.
The other day, I started Deuteronomy. And in Deuteronomy 3:6, Moses tells the Israelites as they prepare to enter the promised land, “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.”
This is without a doubt one of the best verses we can read, if for no other reason than those last eight words: “He will not leave you or forsake you.” This is something I’m always tempted to forget. Because I’ve lived more of my life as a non-Christian than as a Christian, I’ve got a lot of reprogramming I’m still trying to do. One of those places is remembering that I do not have to be afraid that God is going to wash his hands of me. If I am truly his—if he truly did save me 10 and a half years ago—then I belong to him.
Through Christ, he has brought me into his family. He has called me his child. He will never leave me or forsake me. Thinking about this reminded me of something Charles Spurgeon said:
The devil would rob us of our heritage if he could, but there is an Advocate with the Father who pleads for us. Satan would snatch from us every promise, and tear from us all the comforts of the covenant; but we are not orphans, and when he brings a suit-at-law against us, and thinks that we are the only defendants in the case, he is mistaken, for we have an Advocate on high. Christ comes in and pleads, as the sinners’ Friend, for us; and when He pleads at the bar of justice, there is no fear but that His plea will be of effect, and our inheritance shall be safe. He has not left us orphans.[1. The Believer Not an Orphan (Published in Till He Come)]
This is such good news, isn’t it? Though he may try, Satan cannot snatch away what we are promised. He cannot drag us out of God’s hand anymore than we can jump out ourselves. And what’s more, even as we feel the weight of our sin, we can know that Christ is still with us. Always, until the end of the age. He has not left us orphans.
He will never leave us or forsake us.