Today’s Bible study from the Standing on Faith in the Storms of Life series is all about how God will not fail you or forsake you – even if you feel forsaken. While I encourage you to grab a Bible and a notebook and pen for the Journaling and Reflection section, you may prefer to just think about the prompts, or skip them entirely.
Read: Deuteronomy 31:1-8
Key Verse: Deuteronomy 31:8
The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.
What Does It Mean?
As Moses prepared to die, he spoke words of encouragement, from God, not just to Joshua, who would succeed him as leader of the Israelites, but to the whole community of the people of Israel.
Moses’ words served as a reminder that the God who had delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt would continue to deliver them to victory. God was, and is, completely dependable and trustworthy, and will never leave nor forsake those who trust in Him.
The Israelites needed these words of encouragement, because they were about to enter the Promised Land, and would have to fight to inhabit their inheritance. There were many battles ahead for them – and the same is true for us.
The devil doesn’t give up when we surrender our lives to Christ – becoming a Christian isn’t a ticket to an easy life – and the words Moses spoke to the Israelites are words that we need to hang onto when – not if – we face difficulties and times of testing and trial. We can face down the devil with confidence when we believe that God is with us and will never leave or forsake us.
We can take Him at His word, and refuse to give in to feelings of fear or terror or discouragement. It’s not always easy, especially not when our circumstances seem to be impossible, but putting our trust completely in God often means that we have to look beyond our current circumstances and hang our faith on what we know to be true about God, and how He has proved Himself to be trustworthy in the past.
Bottom Line on He Will Never Fail You
Knowing that God is utterly dependable and will never leave or forsake us gives us a solid foundation and strengthens and encourages us to be able to stand firm no matter what the devil tries to defeat us with. Although our human weaknesses may cause us to stumble, we can boldly refuse to give in to feelings of fear and discouragement because we know that it is not in our own strength that we stand victorious, but in God’s strength, which cannot be defeated by the schemes of the devil.
Journaling and Reflection
- Read verse 8. How does this promise make you feel? Is it a source of strength and encouragement?
- God gives us these promises because He knows we will inevitably face situations that could cause us to fear or experience discouragement. How can holding firm to God’s promises change the way you feel about difficult circumstances that you face?
- Have you ever felt like God has forsaken you? Ask God to reveal to you how He was working in your life even when you felt forsaken.
Prayer Pointers
Thank God that He is trustworthy and dependable, and will never leave or forsake us. Ask Him to help you to hide His promises in your heart so that you are better able to depend on them in tough times.
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