By Jason Harrison —
Am I the only one? Am I the only one who is facing a major decision with no idea what I should do? Am I the only who needs wisdom for the conversation I am about to have? Am I the only one who doesn’t want to get out of bed? Am I the only one scared to share my faith? Am I the only one exhausted from trying to perform to be loved and accepted? Tell me, am I the only one?
I know I am not the only one. I’ve heard fellow believers express these exact thoughts. Therefore, I know we need a secure promise to settle our storm-tossed hearts. A promise that holds through whatever we are experiencing. An ‘everything in one’ promise like the one in Hebrews 13:5, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Here, our empty hearts find a fresh brook flowing with soul-satisfying relief.
I Will Never Leave You
God will never leave us nor forsake us. This promise chases away our discontent, depression, and listlessness. It quiets the voices of doubt and fear. It steadies us amid difficulty. Our souls need this unfailing promise.
Why is it unfailing? Because it is relational. God is speaking to us. Through Christ, He has a special relationship with us. He is our “Abba Father,” and as Father He loves us—His children. Will He abandon his children? Never. Nothing can separate us from the Father’s love (Ro. 8:39).
He’ll not forsake us because Christ is with us always (Mt. 28:20). He is our husband, and Christ will not divorce the bride He purchased with his own blood. Nothing can separate us from His love.
As the church, we are the very body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:27). How can Christ turn against His own body? If Christ died for us when we were still sinners, why would He abandon us now? Nothing can separate us from His love.
This promise has proven true as He has never forsaken His people in the past. From Abraham to Moses to Joshua to David to the early disciples to us, we see this promise reiterated throughout the Scriptures (cf. Gen. 28:15, Dt. 31:6, Josh. 1:5). Christ will not reject His people. He has not abandoned us, and He never will.
A Promise Filled With Fruit
Near the end of a sermon he preached on this verse, C.H. Spurgeon highlighted five fruits this promise should produce in us.
Contentment. We find this in the prior context. He states, “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have.” During financial strain, God calls us to be content, for He will not give up on us. As He has provided in the past, He will continue to provide.
Courage. The author of Hebrews continues, “So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’” Believers can face whatever we’re facing—persecution, cultural pressures, or internal attacks—with courage.
Comfort. Depression and despair flee in the face of such a promise! Like a sunny day in the middle of a long winter, it shines light on the dark night of the soul.
Delight. Knowing that we will never be alone or forsaken fills our hearts with delight. We discover joy being in the presence of a friend, when all others have forsaken us.
Dependence. Just this past Sunday, we sang this truth.
The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no, never, no, never forsake.
What are we leaning on? Where are we going for rest? Christ will not disappoint.
An Everything-In-One Promise
Christ will not forsake us. He is our helper and holds us fast. He is our help when we need wisdom, our help when we need good judgment, and our help when we need comfort. Look to Him and know this mercy today!
As Spurgeon preached years ago, “To put everything in one, there is nothing you can want, there is nothing you can ask for, there is nothing you can need in time or in eternity, there is nothing living, nothing dying, there is nothing in this world, nothing in the next world, there is nothing now, nothing at the resurrection-morning, nothing in heaven that is not contained in this text—‘I will never leave thee; I will never forsake thee.’”
Spurgeon, C.H. “Never! Never! Never! Never! Never!” Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Volume 8, https://www.spurgeon.org/resource-library/sermons/never-never-never-never-never#flipbook/