I will never leave you, I will never forsake you.

Hebrews 13:5Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, "I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,"

This morning as I was listening for Jesus to speak I heard him say something he has said many times. I will never leave you, I will never forsake you.

This is one of the most preciou promises to me personally that he has made.

Before I came to know the reality of the Lord's care I was overtaken by a deep loneliness. I now understand it was what I now called the God shaped hole in my being. But then it felt like I was disconnected from everything in the universe. Rejection was not far from my reality at all times and, like so many of us do, I fought rejection with rejection. 

Then Jesus came and revealed himself to me. That was when I was seventeen years old. While I have needed much assurance of his continuing presence in my life, accounting for why he has to tell me so often that he will never leave or forsake me, I found in him the connection to everyone else. 

Until we know we are secure in the love of God we are restless. The ancient Anglican prayer "Oh Lord, our hearts are restless till we find our rest in Thee" is accurate beyond description. While many, like I did, put on a face of confidence, I have not found a person yet who does not struggle with belonging at some point in their lives. To find that place of belonging many are willing to sacrifice their very identity. But it can only be found in God.

When it is found in God it is like a spring of fresh water flowing from our innermost being. It washes away the daily poison of rejection that we face from others but mostly from ourselves.  It gives us a place where we can simply be. A place where we have no need to impress, fear, or perform for value.

His promise to stay is a place of serene rest.

I often say that only one can walk with us across the final valley of our lives. When our bodies no longer support our life here no one we love here can take that last journey with us.But if we have let him take his desired place in our hearts, Jesus will be there to take our hand and walk us accross the valley of the shaddow of death.

If that is true of that day how much more true is it of today. As we entered into the day we can know that we have one who walks with us without fail. He will never leave our side. He will never reject us. He will stay at every moment. We have nothing to fear, nothing to prove and nothing to perform to gain his attention.

He is with us forever.