I Will Never Leave You or Forsake You
One of the greatest stories of God’s faithfulness in being with us when we need him most is a story many people don’t know.
It happened 800 years before Jesus came to earth. Israel was split into two Kingdoms, Judah to the South and Israel to the North. Israel was an ungodly nation, let by King Ahab and his wicked wife, Jezebel. Yet, God was faithful to his people in Israel. God gave Israel Elijah and then Elisha as prophets to lead and protect Israel. Aram, a Syrian nation, had attacked Israel in a series of raids.
2 Kings 6:8-23 NIV tells the story:
8 When the king of Aram was at war with Israel, he would confer with his officers and say, “We will mobilize our forces at such and such a place.”
9 But immediately Elisha, the man of God, would warn the king of Israel, “Do not go near that place, for the Arameans are planning to mobilize their troops there.” 10 So the king of Israel would send word to the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he would be on the alert there.
11 The king of Aram became very upset over this. He called his officers together and demanded, “Which of you is the traitor? Who has been informing the king of Israel of my plans?”
12 “It’s not us, my lord the king,” one of the officers replied. “Elisha, the prophet in Israel, tells the king of Israel even the words you speak in the privacy of your bedroom!”
13 “Go and find out where he is,” the king commanded, “so I can send troops to seize him.”
And the report came back: “Elisha is at Dothan.” 14 So one night the king of Aram sent a great army with many chariots and horses to surround the city.
15 When the servant of the man of God got up early the next morning and went outside, there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere. “Oh, sir, what will we do now?” the young man cried to Elisha.
16 “Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!”
17 Then Elisha prayed, “O LORD, open his eyes and let him see!” The LORD opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.
18 As the Aramean army advanced toward him, Elisha prayed, “O LORD, please make them blind.” So the LORD struck them with blindness as Elisha had asked.
Elisha led them to Samaria and the king.
21 When the king of Israel saw them, he shouted to Elisha, “My father, should I kill them? Should I kill them?”
22 “Of course not!” Elisha replied. “Do we kill prisoners of war? Give them food and drink and send them home again to their master.”
23 So the king made a great feast for them and then sent them home to their master. After that, the Aramean raiders stayed away from the land of Israel.
The king of Aram wisely decided to leave Israel alone after this. You would leave a nation with a god that powerful alone too!
I Will Never Leave You or Forsake You
Like Elisha’s servant, you may be outnumbered by your enemies, facing an impossible situation right now. But like Elisha, God is on your side. Throughout scripture, God again and again tells his people, “I will never leave you or forsake you.”
No matter what you are facing today, here is God’s personal promise to you: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them [your enemies or circumstances], for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6 [added for clarity]
This promise is repeated in Joshua 1:5, 1:9 and in Hebrews 13:5.
The same promise is made in different words in Isaiah 41:10 ERV:
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Activation
Do the activation to deal with fear and anxiety in your circumstances. Declar