“I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)
Trembling on the edge of the precipice, our eight-year-old daughter, Evita, cried out, “I only want to go with Daddy!”
Wearing both a helmet and climbing shoes, she was strapped into a harness with two safety ropes. She stood backwards on the ledge, her heels already off the edge. Poised to descend thirty-five feet in standard rappelling style, she was stuck.
Fear paralyzed her.
“I can’t go without Daddy!”
My husband quickly gathered another line, buckling himself in.
“Belay on,” he called to our other two daughters down below on the ground. They prepared to belay or hold the rappelling lines so no one accidentally plunged to the earth below.
Reaching Evita, he instructed her every move. He stayed within a foot of her, encouraging her, as she completed embarking over the edge (the point of no return as we term it) and positioned her legs to “walk” down the wall of the cliff.
A few minutes later she swung safely to the ground, declaring her descent “Fun!”
Her sisters congratulated her and she smiled, saying, “I want to go again, but only with Daddy.”
I am so my daughter’s mother. Even when I’ve faced challenges before, I often refuse to go it alone. I tell God I can’t possibly do it. I must have help. I need to possess the honesty of our eight-year-old! I need to admit, “Abba, I need You! I can’t go without You!”
Thankfully I never need to go it alone. God promised, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)
I’ve lived through many challenges in life and have tested that very promise. Honestly, God has never left me. Thankfully, no matter what comes: an unexpected relocation, a surprise family addition, or a shocking cancer diagnosis, I never had to go it alone. He never left me stranded.
I don’t know if you’re standing on any ledges today. I don’t know if you’ve ever read Hebrews 13:5 and understand it’s a promise. A promise from God to you. No matter what you’re facing today, He wants to carry you through to the other side. He wants to encourage you and guide you down the difficult terrain. He’s not asking you to go it alone. He waiting for your invitation. He wants to hear your heart say, “I can’t do it! Abba, (Daddy) help me.”
Reflections:
Where am I standing today? More importantly, do I feel alone?
Read Hebrews 13:5. Memorize it. Personalize it. Test it.
Prayer: Dear Abba, Thank You for loving me and never leaving me alone. Sometimes I feel alone, feel I can’t share my heart. Maybe because I worry what other’s might think, or possibly because it’s not my story to share. Regardless, I am never truly alone when I turn toward You. Thank You for Your promise that You will never leave me nor forsake me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
I would love to hear how you have tested that promise. I would also love to hear how you plan to test that promise. I will happily pray for you and your situation. As always, please feel free to use my email address if you prefer for your comments to remain unpublished. Thank you for reading! Please return next Friday, July 15 at 9pm for the next post.