Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. Hebrews 13:5
Thousands of people prayed for pastor Ed Dobson when he was diagnosed with ALS in 2000. Many believed that when they prayed in faith for healing, God would answer immediately. After twelve years of struggling with the disease that caused Ed’s muscles to atrophy little by little (and three years before he died), someone asked him why he thought God hadn’t healed him yet. “There’s no good answer, so I don’t ask,” he replied. His wife, Lorna, added, “If you’re always obsessed about having to have answers, you can’t really live.”
Can you hear the respect for God in Ed and Lorna’s words? They knew that His wisdom is above their own. Yet Ed admitted, “I find it nearly impossible not to worry about tomorrow.” He understood that the disease would cause increasing disability, and he didn’t know what new problem the next day might bring.
To help himself focus on the present, Ed placed these verses in his car, on the bathroom mirror, and next to his bed: “God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid’ ” (Hebrews 13:5-6). Whenever he started to worry, he would repeat the verses to help him refocus his thoughts on the truth.
No one knows what the next day will bring. Maybe Ed’s practice could help us turn our worries into opportunities to trust.
Hebrews 13:5-8
5 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.”[a]
6 So we say with confidence,
“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”[b]
7 Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
INSIGHT
1. What Scriptures help you to focus on today and not worry about tomorrow?
2. Where might you place them to help your faith grow?
From beginning to end, the book of Hebrews is richly flavored by the sacred writings of the Old Testament. One scholar notes that the thinking of the writer of Hebrews “was saturated with Old Testament types, echoes and allusions.” Regarding direct quotations from the Old Testament, the same author notes that “there are 40 of them.” Bible readers will find that various quotes are used to highlight and support lofty theological truths such as the deity of Jesus (see Hebrews 1:5-13). Other citations are used to guard and guide behavior. The children of Israel needed the exhortations of Moses found in Deuteronomy 31:6, Hebrew believers in Christ needed them in the first century, and we need them now to live a life that honors God: “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).
PRAYER
Help me to remember, Father, that You’re God, and I am not. Please teach me to trust You. In Jesus name I pray and believe. Amen.
Read: Hebrews 13:5-8 | Bible in a Year: Psalms 37-39; Acts 26
