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Answer
A reassuring promise in Scripture is that God will never abandon those who belong to Him. Hebrews 13:5 states, in part, “He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’” (NKJV). In a world that is constantly changing and where individuals are frequently departing, whether in a family, relationship, or through death, God’s commitment to never leaving is uplifting.
The assurance “I will never leave you nor forsake you” was initially given to Israel and Joshua before they entered the Promised Land «Be strong and of good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. », (Deuteronomy 31:6). Moses encouraged Joshua by reminding him that, as the new leader, “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” «And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed. », (Deuteronomy 31:8). Although Joshua’s task of claiming the Promised Land seemed daunting, with the Lord, it was achievable, as He would not abandon Joshua.
Numerous other verses in the Old Testament contain similar assurances from God to individuals, promising to never abandon them. These individuals include
• Jacob «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. », (Genesis 28:15)
• Joshua (Deuteronomy 31:8; Joshua 1:5,9)
• Solomon “And David said to Solomon his son, ‘Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.'” , (1 Chronicles 28:20)
• The poor and needy “When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.” , (Isaiah 41:17)
In the New Testament, quoting from Deuteronomy 31:6, the author of Hebrews restates the promise of God’s eternal presence with believers “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, ‘I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.'” , (Hebrews 13:5). The promise is preceded by a command: “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have.” Instead of trusting in riches or material goods, which will ultimately fail, believers should place their hope in God, who promises, “I will never leave you and I will never abandon you” (NET). Riches and other resources can depart in a moment, but the Lord is with His children forever. One’s faith and trust, therefore, should be in Him alone.
Never will I leave you. At salvation, Christians are permanently indwelt with the Holy Spirit, who is God Himself (Acts 5:3-4). Christ affirmed that the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, would be with His followers always “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another CComforter, so that He may abide with you forever; », (John 14:16). Also, Jesus told His disciples that He would be with them “to the very end of the age”—a promise that includes present-day believers «teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.», (Matthew 28:20). The God who promised to never leave Joshua is the same Lord who says He will never leave believers today.
“Never will I forsake you.” Some versions translate Hebrews 13:5 as God’s promise not to “abandon” (CSB) or “desert” (CEV) us. The meaning of the Greek word enkatalipō includes the idea of being completely abandoned or left alone (Strong’s Concordance 1459). Believers have the wonderful promise that God will never forsake them. Jesus felt utterly forsaken by the Father when He took the sins of the world upon Himself on the cross, and now those who trust in Him will not be abandoned in their sinful state «And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? », (Matthew 27:46). He became a “curse” to free people from their slavery to sin so that those who place faith in His death and resurrection would receive forgiveness and eternal life (see 2 Corinthians 5:21;Galatians 3:13-14). A 1999 worship song written by Billy James Foote, called “You Are My King (Amazing Love),” describes this concept well: “I’m forgiven because you were forsaken” (from Hymnary.org, accessed 11/12/20).
God’s eternal promise that He will never leave or forsake believers is not only comforting,But also provides courage to followers of Christ. Because God will never leave or forsake His children, they can live unafraid. Hebrews 13:6 follows God’s promise with the statement, “Hence we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?’” (ISV). Essentially, this is a quote from Psalm 118:6–7, which portrays God as the Helper who protects His chosen people. Like Joshua being encouraged to complete his appointed task, Christians can also be emboldened and strengthened by the promise that the Lord will never leave or forsake them.
