Topic: 7 Promises of God – I Will Never Leave You
Text: Joshua 1:5b-6; 23:14
Speaker: Pr. Lo Yi Ping
A drama film produced by Hallmark entitled “The Lost Valentine” tells the beautiful and
touching story of a young bride Mrs. Thomas. On Valentine’s Day in 1944 at the Union Train
Station, she waved goodbye to her husband Neil Thomas, a navy pilot, as he left her for World
War II with one promise that, “I’ll be home safely by our wedding anniversary.” Time passed
and they exchanged letters to keep their love alive until one day she received a telegram
stating that her husband was missing in action. She refused to believe that he was dead and
since then, for more than 60 years, she has returned every year on Valentine’s Day to the
train station to wait for her husband. In life, promises that people give to one another can keep
one’s hopes alive even in their lives’ darkest moments. On the other hand, broken promises
can break people, causing them to lose hope for all things in life, sometimes they are even
being locked in the time when the promise failed to come true.
God promised never to leave us or forsake us. The exact verse for this is found in Hebrew
13:5 which says, “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.” This verse is cross
referenced to the account in Deuteronomy 31.
1. God’s promises are everlasting covenant
Deuteronomy 31 – Moses’ departing message to Joshua and the Israelites. By this time, he was 120 years old, his time was almost up, even though God had given Moses the responsibility to lead the people out of Egypt but he was not given the chance to enter the promised land. Yet Moses was encouraging his succeeding leader Joshua to continue to trust God to lead them and ask him to be strong and courageous (Deut. 31:7-8). Moses was very sure that God would go before them, lead them and not fail or forsake them. This was not only Moses’ experience but also that of his forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Genesis 17:7). God gave the promise that He’ll be God to Abraham and his offsprings.
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses have all experienced the fulfilment of God’s promises in their lives. That’s why Moses was so convinced that God will continue to go with Joshua and the people after him. In the same way, as New Testament Christians, we can say with confidence that God will “never leave us nor forsake us” (Hebrews 13:5b). Jesus also says, “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). God promises to be with us too until the end of the age. God’s promises have no expiry dates! They stand through all generations. Just as He never left Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses and Joshua, He will never leave us as well.
Forsake is a strong word which means “divine abandonment”, “to leave behind” or “to desert.” When used in a military sense, when warriors forsake a village, it means that the village will be completely abandoned and unprotected and left entirely at the mercy of the enemies. A child misbehaving in a public place will usually behave himself when threatened to be abandoned by his parents because the very thought of being abandoned is very frightening to a child. And yet Jesus Himself was forsaken and abandoned by God the Father at the Cross.
2. His promises, our commitment
In this world, promises often come with terms and conditions. One party promises to do something in return for the other party fulfilling his part of the deal or bargain. In other words, you won’t receive what was promised if you don’t fulfill your part. But it is not so with God. God’s promises are one-sided. He never requires us to fulfill any conditions before He comes and gives us His promises out of His love and grace which we do not deserve at all. God does not require us to give Him our promises but what He asks from us is our commitment and our devotion to Him. Read Exodus 3:12 and John 14:15-18.
God does not need our promises but He wants our commitment to Him. To keep His commandments, to love Him and to give Him our commitment.
In the earlier story about Mrs. Thomas, what kept her going to the train station for over 60 years? Her husband promised to return but never did. We can see it as a broken promise on her husband’s part. What kept her going was not the promise her husband gave to her, but it was her commitment to the promise that she gave to her husband, that she would love him and wait for his return. It was more than a promise, it was the commitment to this promise that she made. The wedding vows that couples exchange at Christian weddings are not just promises they’re making to each other but they are actually making promise and covenant with God to stand by each other through thick and thin.
3. Continue to proclaim the promises of God
Read about Joshua’s farewell speech to the people in Joshua 23:14. By this time, he had already experienced the assurance that Moses shared with him concerning God’s promise to never leave or forsake him. Now it was his turn to affirm the Israelites that God is faithful to wh t He promised. Although Joshua was dying and leaving the people, he was certain that God would never leave them. The promises of God are being proclaimed, affirmed and experienced from one generation to another. To help the future generations stand on God’s promises, we must continue to proclaim His promises. Pr. Yiping shared how her grandmother used to proclaim God’s faithfulness and goodness to her again and again, and this has led her to find her faith and experience in Christ. Nowadays she would relate her grandmother’s stories and her own experiences to her daughter, hoping that she too will walk on the promises of God. In summary and in conclusion, God’s promises are an everlasting covenant that will last from generation to generation. We can never give Him our promises but what He wants from us is only our commitment to worship Him, obey His commandments and to love Him. To love Him means loving His people and loving His Church. Let’s continue to proclaim and stand on God’s promises so that our generations to come will continue to walk in His blessings.
Questions for Discussion
1. Have you ever promised someone something but changed your mind later or vice versa?
What caused the change and why? What are some of the things you will take into
consideration before you make a promise? How does a broken promise make you feel?
2. Take turns to read aloud Hebrews 13:5b-6 and Deuteronomy 31. Share your observations
and questions from the reading in relation to the sermon outline above and beyond.
Example, what are some of the words that are being repeated in the passage? What is the
significance of such repetition? What are some of the words that stand out in your reading?
How does that speak to you?
3. Pray for one another, if there are any past hurts from broken promises, release them to
God and ask Him to heal the brokenness within. Pray also for one another to stand firm
on His promises that are ever faithful.
