When we believe Jesus died and rose again to pay the price for our sins and confess Him as Lord, we will never again hunger or thirst for spiritual life.
Uncertainties confront us every day. How long will we live? Will our children grow up and prosper or suffer and die young? War, disease, poverty, famine, and social upheaval threaten us. We have no guarantee that life as we know it will continue or if our days will be filled with peace or pain. What can we depend on?
We can stand on the absolutes of God’s written word, the Holy Bible. His truth will never fail. In Scripture, He gives many trustworthy promises. We don’t know what our future on earth holds, but here are seven things He assures us will never happen to believers in Christ Jesus:
1. Never Be Thirsty
“Whoever comes to Me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in Me will never be thirsty” (John 6:35 NIV).
Every person experiences physical hunger and thirst. We must eat and drink to keep our bodies alive and well. Still, our bodies will die at some point.
Our spirits are another issue, and that is what Jesus is referring to here. All humans come into this world spiritually dead. We begin our journey hungering and thirsting for life. Most feel emptiness deep in their souls. We’re always searching for what’s missing and trying to fill that void with sex, alcohol, drugs, success, entertainment, pride, and self-effort through good deeds. But these pursuits don’t fulfill. We always need more and more. We’re trying to satisfy our hunger with illusions. It’s like trying to carry water in a bucket riddled with holes.
Jesus came to resurrect our souls. When we believe in Him, we receive eternal life. We’re given spiritual bread and water, which fills us so we never hunger again. As Jesus promised, “He who eats this bread will live forever” (John 6:58 NKJV).
Anyone can receive His living water. Jesus said, “Come to Me” (Matthew 11:28). Scripture records in Acts 16:30-32, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.” When we believe Jesus died and rose again to pay the price for our sins and confess Him as Lord, we will never again hunger or thirst for spiritual life.
2. Never Be Driven Away
“All those the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me I will never drive away” (John 6:37 NIV).
Most of us fear rejection, sometimes making us hesitant to invite someone to lunch, go for an interview, or put ourselves in any situation where a brushoff is possible. We often go to great lengths to avoid being shunned.
Jesus issues an amazing invitation. Anyone who believes in Him and cries out for salvation will be received. There’s no risk of rejection but a guarantee of acceptance, love, and grace. Scripture tells us, “'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’” (Romans 10:12-13).
All who seek Jesus will never be turned away. God wants all to come to Him.
3. Never Walk in Darkness
“When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life’” (John 8:12 NIV).
The dark frightened me, even through my college years. Being alone in inky blackness or with others sleeping caused my imagination to go wild. Much more terrifying is a spiritual darkness. To walk through life blind to death’s reality and then face eternal gloom without hope of light is a terrifying prospect.
But hope is offered. Jesus died to give us unending light with Him in heaven. He is the Light. When we follow Jesus, we have spiritual enlightenment and we will never be in the dark again.
4. Never See Death
“Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys My word will never see death” (John 8:51 NIV).
Death is the enemy that constantly stalks us, mocking us with its inevitability. Every human will die. These bodies begin to decay from the moment we are born. Yet, Jesus promised those who obey Him will never die spiritually.
We have obeyed when we believe in Jesus Christ as Lord. All who are in Christ will never experience spiritual death. We will never cease to exist. What a glorious promise!
5. Never Be Forsaken
“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5 NIV).
People are sometimes abandoned by parents, friends, spouses, or children. Those who’ve been deserted often live in fear of not being enough, wondering when the next person will leave.
We will never be forsaken by God. No matter what we do, He will always be with us and, because of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice, His Spirit lives in us.
6. Never Be Put to Shame
“The one who trusts in Him, will never be put to shame” (1 Peter 2:6 NIV).
I think one of our greatest fears is to be shamed before others. We feel humiliated when we realize we’ve behaved in a way that goes against our personal values or those of society. We stand exposed and with no way to take back the actions or words. Or we know our souls are laid bare before God who knows our every thought and action.
Shame makes us want to hide, run away, or despair in life. It’s a heart-killer that darkens our souls, making us want to conceal our real selves. Shame says, “You’re a failure, hopeless, a mistake.”
We shouldn’t confuse shame with guilt. Guilt drives us to admit a specific mistake or sin and we’re called to repent when we’re guilty. Shame compels us to hide because we feel like our whole being is a mistake. It’s believing others see us as foolish or unworthy.
The good news of the Gospel is that Jesus took our shame for us. We can face God boldly knowing He gave us His righteousness in exchange for our sin and shame.
7. Never Be Blotted Out
“I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life” (Revelation 3:5 NIV).
Scripture teaches that each one who believes in Jesus Christ as Savior will have their name written in the book of life, the book in which God records the names of every person who is destined for heaven in the world to come. Once our names are there, they will never be erased. We are His forever.
Jesus promised, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to Me is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand” (John 10:28-29 NIV).
We don’t know when inevitable suffering or loss will happen to us or our families. Will we encounter multiple struggles and sorrows or have a comparatively easy life? What we can depend on is that, through Christ, we’ll never be alone or abandoned. We’ll never be left without spiritual food and drink. Our souls will never die and we’ll never be left in the dark. He’ll always love us, always hear and answer our prayers, never turn us away, and He’ll never take away our salvation. We’re His forever. We walk by faith, not by sight, knowing God keeps His promises.
I cling to these truths in the face of daily unknowns. Jesus is the Rock I stand on. He will never leave me.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Artem Peretiatko
Susan Aken writes devotions and articles for Wholly Loved Ministries, is an Oklahoma native who’s lived in Nebraska since 1987 and has been in public education for over thirty years. She and her husband have one son and a wonderful daughter-in-law. Besides writing she has a passion for special needs and prayer ministries. She enjoys time with family, reading, photography, movies, walking in nature, and a nice cup of tea. She believes life is a journey and we’re all in different places. Jesus is everything to her and it’s all about grace. Visit her at susanaken53.wordpress.com or on Facebook.
