Never Alone Nor Forgotten

“And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.” (Ge 28:15 AV)

 

We know this promise to Jacob is in reference to the promises made to Abraham and Isaac.  Jacob is fleeing from his brother Esau.  Rebekah, Jacob’s mother instructs her son to go to her brother Laban’s house.  From there, he is to find a wife.  He is not to remain in Canaan for the short term because Esau wants him dead and there is no woman worth having as a wife in the land of Canaan.  Off Jacob goes.  He is by himself.  He must travel a great distance without assistance.  He has limited supplies and when he arrives at Laban’s house, there is no guarantee he will be welcomed or be prosperous in finding a wife.  When Jacob strikes out, he is taking a great leap of faith.  God honors that faith by reassuring Jacob He will provide for him and protect him so that Jacob can fulfill the purpose for which God created him.  Jacob never has to fear God abandoning him for God has a purpose for his life.  This promise is the same promise every individual God ever created has.  There is a reason we are here.  Good or bad, there is a purpose for our lives and the LORD will not abandon us in our deepest times of need so that He might get the glory out of what He has created.

When I coached H.S. pitching, Joshua was not the only pitcher I worked with.  He was by far the most talented.  But he was not the only one.  There were several others.  However, one comes to mind.  He was also our shortstop.  He was the most athletic of all the players.  This young man eventually went to a junior college on a baseball scholarship.  When I worked with him, no matter the attitude, aptitude, or dedication, I put in the time with him.  The head coach had my back and if this young player ever gave me an attitude, the coach was right on him.  One practice, we were in the gym rather than outdoors.  The dilemma of coaching in a northern state.  Anyway, we were facing the stage and the curtains were drawn.  My exercise that day was to work on power while still trying to maintain accuracy.  This young player was a bit stubborn that day and didn’t show any real interest in complying.  We went through the mechanics of the throw.  We showed how certain mechanics increased power.  It is not in the arm, believe it or not.  Power is in the back and rotation of the hips.  Anyway, we were working on this principle, and just to show how obstinate he was, he would let the ball fly just to see it hit the curtains.  We are not taking inches off target.  We are talking feet off target.  He was doing this deliberately.  Yet, I made a commitment to him, and no matter the attitude or commitment level, I was all in.  I was not going to forsake him just because he was making it difficult for me.  He had a unique place on our team and worth as an individual.  I was all in even if he was not.

This is how God treats His children.  Let’s face it.  There is a lot of consternation over what has happened to our nation in the past and present generation.  What we see today has not happened overnight.  What we see today is the manifestation of a nation that abandoned God over a hundred years ago.  The real origins of globalism and humanism are not recent.  It dates back to the late 1800s.  Now, we are seeing the maturity of that child.  What lies ahead for the people of God is troublesome times.  Whether we like it or not, the world has never been a friend of the saints.  They never will be.  So, we can look at the future and wonder how much we will have to suffer for the glory of God.  Maybe a bit.  Maybe a lot.  Whatever the future holds, we can take the promise above as our anchor.  He will not forsake us because first and foremost, He loves us.  He loved us enough to send His Son to die for us.  Second, He will not forsake us because He has a plan for us.  Just like Jacob who was on his way to Laban, we are pilgrims passing through this life into a far greater one.  Chin up, Christian, God is still here.  The darker the day, the closer He will be.