Reading: Luke 24, Psalm 37:25

I have been young, and [now] am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread.

This might be one of my favorite passages in the Psalms. Here, King David boldly testifies that he has lived long enough to see that God is faithful to provide for His people. The word translated forsaken here is the Hebrew word azab and it means to desert entirely, to leave behind, to abandon. This is one of the most often repeated promises in the bible. God never abandons us. Like a good and loving father, the Lord knows us by name and is determined to stay with us - come what may.

When Jesus was about to leave the earth, one of the last things He promised was this, "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever-- ... "I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” (Jhn 14:16, 18). Jesus' promise to not leave us orphaned and abandoned is sealed by His promise to give us His Spirit who will abide with us forever.

This promise of God is essential for us to believe. Many of God’s children today struggle with fear about whether the Lord is really with them - especially after they stumble. Satan uses our weaknesses and failures to sow seeds of doubt about whether or not we are really God’s children. I have spoken to many believers over the years who struggle with doubts about whether they have committed an unpardonable sin and lost their relationship with Jesus.

One day while studying this subject I came across Hebrews 13:5, which reads, “...be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." I decided to go to my Greek lexicon and study each word in this verse.

To my amazement I discovered most of our English translations - though good - do not fully translate the Greek - due to the fact that it's difficult to fully convey. In the original language the writer uses five negatives to describe the impossibility of God abandoning His people. Only the Amplified Bible endeavors to fully translate these words from the Greek; “...be content with what you have; for He has said, "I WILL NEVER [under any circumstances] DESERT YOU [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], NOR WILL I FORSAKE or LET YOU DOWN or RELAX MY HOLD ON YOU [assuredly not!]...” (emphasis in the original).

This powerful verse aligns with our reading in Psalm 37:25. David declares that the Lord’s unfailing presence with us is a guarantee that He will meet our every need. We all go through seasons of leanness both financially and emotionally. Each of us will have times where we must learn to trust God for His provision - even though there is no help in sight. But even in these difficult times, we can be assured that the Lord is with us and will not forsake or abandon us.

If you are going through a season of leanness in your soul, relationships, career, or finances, do not despair. The Lord who saved you is with you. As you look to Jesus, He will guide you to green pastures, still waters, and replenish your soul once again.

Write a list of at least five reasons the Lord will not let you down. You can use scripture promises, memories of past breakthroughs, and the testimonies of others.
Then write a prayer to Jesus thanking Him for His promise to never leave or forsake you.
Then sit in His presence and permit yourself to feel His love radiate through your soul. Listen to what He whispers to your heart.

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