Journey to Christmas with the Midwives of the Messiah
I Will Not Fail You
Sharon W. Betters
TODAY’S TREASURE
God Himself has said, 'I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. I will not, I will not, I will not in any way or degree leave you helpless nor forsake you nor let you down, relax My hold on you. Assuredly not! (Hebrews 13:5, Amplified).
Stop for a moment and let this truth sink in. In the middle of your deep grief, daughter or son of the King, when you are so afraid of the future you can barely breathe, so terrified of another phone call or knock on the door that could change your life forever, listen to the words God speaks to you through the promises to Abraham. Trace this promise throughout Scripture:
Abram, Do not be afraid, I will be with you.
Isaac, do not be afraid, I will be with you.
Jacob, do not be afraid, I will be with you.
Joshua, do not be afraid, I will be with you.
Gideon, do not be afraid, I will be with you.
Jeremiah, do not be afraid, I will be with you.
Paul, do not be afraid, I will be with you.
And Jesus to his disciples as he ascended into heaven,
Do not be afraid, I will be with you.
Each one of these individuals had a genuine reason to be afraid. God's call on their lives required them to do very hard tasks, to suffer deep pain, and to walk by faith when all they could see was darkness. God's antidote to their fear was not to explain the why or how, or even the solution to their challenge. He didn't tell them not to worry; everything would work out okay. No. God's response to their fear was the promise of His presence. His method of comforting our broken hearts is the same. He doesn't tell us why our loved ones are gone or why we are experiencing loss, depression, broken relationships, or grief. What answer would be good enough? Instead, He calls out, "Sharon, don't be afraid; I am with you. Trust My heart."
The book of Hebrews was written to frighten believers who were ready to give up. The writer uses every truth possible to encourage them to trust God with the unknown, and in the last chapter, he proclaims:
God Himself has said, 'I will not in any way fail you nor give you up
nor leave you without support. I will not, I will not, I will not in any way or degree leave you helpless nor forsake you nor let you down, relax My hold on you. Assuredly not! (Hebrews 13:5, Amplified).
Remember, however, you are spending Christmas, set aside time to reflect on this great gift of Christmas Presence. Ponder that first Christmas, the joy God experienced when He unveiled the fulfillment of His promise to Abraham when He wrapped up His son in the package of human flesh and delivered Him through the body of a young girl. Think of Immanuel, whose name means “God with Us!” and realize He was thinking of how much you would need the reality of His presence as you walked by faith in the Land of Grief. Give yourself permission to laugh, to share memories. Lean into the pain of grief and as you weep, listen for the whisper of God: My child, do not be afraid, I am with you.
LIFE-GIVING ENCOURAGEMENT
As we prepare to journey past Christmas into a new year, don’t miss the opportunity to soak up the promise of God’s presence as the greatest present ever. This is more than a universal belief in God or even the birth of Jesus. It’s meditating on the gift of salvation that comes from a personal relationship with Jesus. If you are not sure He lives in you, take some time to read through Mary’s song and the Christmas story in Luke. Ask the Lord to open your heart to his presence, to the greatest Christmas gift of all. Contact me at dailytreasure@markinc.org, and I would count it a priceless gift to help you understand what it means to be a child of God. May you rest deeply in His presence this Christmas!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Sharon W. Betters is a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, pastor’s wife, and cofounder of MARKINC Ministries, where she is the Director of Resource Development. Sharon is the author of several books, including Treasures of Encouragement, Treasures in Darkness, and co-author with Susan Hunt of Aging with Grace. She is the co-host of the Help & Hope podcast and writes Daily Treasure, an online devotional.
For more from Daily Treasure please visit MARKINC.ORG.
Originally published Saturday, 31 December 2022.
SHARE
