God Never Leaves

Have you ever been deserted in a time of need?

Maybe someone you love walked away when life got hard or maybe a colleague didn’t have your back when they said they would.

No matter what sphere of life it happens in—personal or professional—this kind of betrayal hurts.

On top of the original difficulty, you are left to deal with

Rejection

Frustration

Loneliness

and Questions.

I think it’s safe to say: Having to face hardships alone, without the support of people who care, weakens us for our battles.

But all is not lost if we find ourselves in this place.

Just look at Paul’s words in 2 Timothy 4:16-17a:

“At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength…” (NIV)

People may abandon us, but God never will.

All throughout Scripture, we hear this promise repeated:

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6, NIV)

“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5, NIV)

From Old Testament to New Testament, and from Bible times to today, the promise remains: God will never abandon His people. When everyone else leaves, He stays.

Do we believe this?

And do we remember that He’s with us as we go through our lives?

I confess, sometimes I forget.

It’s so easy to believe only what our eyes tell us.

But as Paul stood in the courtroom, He looked with eyes of faith and recognized: “the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength.”

I love the phrasing there. “the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength.”

It reminds me of how my grandfather used to gently support my grandmother by standing close and holding onto her elbow. Just knowing he was there strengthened her.

And that’s the image I get here.

To onlookers, it appeared that Paul stood alone in the courtroom. But in reality, God was standing close and “holding onto his elbow.” The Lord’s presence stabilized Paul and strengthened him to face his trial.

And His presence will do the same for us today.

If you’re a Believer, you can know with absolute certainty that the Lord is with you. No matter what you face and no matter who walks away, God will be at your side.

So this week…

If you walk into an intimidating room,

If your name is called at the doctor’s office,

If you sit alone, processing sorrows…

I hope you feel God at your side, holding onto your elbow.

I hope you know you’re not alone.

And you never will be.

Putting it into Practice:

What difficulty are you facing right now?

And how will you face it differently knowing that God is with you (even when others aren’t)?

Do you know someone else who needs this encouragement? Please send them a link to this post. I pray that all who visit The Well-Worn Bible will be pointed to Jesus and find all they need in Him.

Join The Email List