Daily Devotion: "I Will Never Leave You Nor Forsake You"

Scripture:
Deuteronomy 31: 1-8

Main 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."

Observation:
It is so easy for us to forget that the Lord is right beside us. In fact, it is one of the thoughts that Satan places in our hearts. When things go rough and tough, we forget to call upon the Lord and instead rely on our ability and do things on our own. When Moses was old and can no longer lead Israel to the Promised Land, the Israelites were afraid. They will lose a great leader soon. They will soon be left on their own. Moses appointed Joshua to replace him and he reminded the people that the Lord was, has been, and will always be with them so there is no reason for them to be afraid. The verse "He will never leave you nor forsake" you was repeated twice; therefore, Moses wanted to emphasize that God keeps his promises. The Lord was faithful to His people despite their stubbornness. The Lord was faithful from the time of their ancestors till the time of their deliverance from Egypt. The Lord will be faithful and bring them to the Promised Land, the land that the Lord swore to give to their ancestors. And we all know what happened: the Israelites were able to conquer the lands that the Lord had promised to them all.

Application:
One of Satan's deceptions is to put fear in our hearts--fear that things will go wrong or that our plans will not materialize. But the Lord's promises to His children endures forever, and we can all cling to this hope because the Lord Himself has declared, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." What a powerful promise! If we can all claim this in our hearts, we will not be anxious. The Lord's promise to the Israelites was to bring them to a land where they can be prosperous. It is His promise to the people that He loves, to all of His creations. Such is God's great love for all!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." - Jeremiah 29: 11-13

Prayer:
Lord, your promises are eternally significant in the lives of your people. I have no fear because you are with me along with thousands of your angels, protecting me from harm and delivering me from the evil one. Thank you for your protection. Thank you for your guidance and for leading me toward the path of righteousness. Thank you for the opportunity to freely call you "My Father." I will seek your face, oh Lord, all the days of my life. It is my heart's desire. All glory, honor and praises to you alone, Lord! AMEN.