“He will never leave you nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV

We could have heard this said by someone whom we love or someone we trust. We would have truly believed that—the person who says they will not leave us in any situation. But in given situations, when it impacts them or stretches them a bit, we could see them walk away that easily, prioritizing themselves over everything else. This is not surprising, because even at times we could do the same to others. It is not humanly possible to stay in the promises we give to others; it needs a divine nature to do what is said.

We see in this passage that God speaks to Moses to get prepared to pass over to the Promised Land. Moses is an age-old leader, leading the people of God through almost all the challenges of life. These people would have seen Moses as an iconic figure—someone who was there and would continue to be there as they possessed the Promised Land. But God had a different plan. Moses reveals to the people that he is not going to be with them for the rest of the journey, but he also reveals that “the Lord Himself will go before you,” just as He did in the past.

Although Moses was the leader guiding the people, it was the presence of God that led the people in the past, and that history is going to continue with the Lord Himself walking before them. It was not the man, the strength of man, or the ability of man, but it was God Himself who was actively involved in every step of the way. So Moses encourages the people that it was not him who carried them this far, but the Lord—therefore, not to be afraid and to keep going in the journey ahead.

This is a great encouragement for anyone and everyone who is relying upon an individual, a family, or an organization to cross over into the next journey—to trust only in the Lord our God, for He will never leave you nor forsake you. He loves us so much that He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, for us to be saved. As you believe in His Son Jesus and worship Him with all your heart, He will not disappoint you. He does not change His mind. He does not even take a second thought to leave you.

Jesus Christ is the only one of whom you can boldly say that He will not forsake you.

Prayer:

Lord, help us to trust You fully and not lean on human strength. Thank You for going before us and for never leaving us nor forsaking us. Teach us to walk in faith, confident in Your presence every step of the way. In Jesus’ name, Amen.