With us always:

Matthew 28:20

20     teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Hebrews 13:5

5     Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,”

     

            Many of you have been abandoned by a parent, a spouse, a friend, or even a pastor. You don’t have to fear that Jesus will turn His back on you. He is unable to desert anyone. He will be with you everlastingly. If you need Him, He will always be there for you. He cannot fail you like someone else has failed you. He will never discard you. You will always be accepted in the Beloved.

If you could hear God speak to you, I believe this is what He would say:

            "I will never leave My children alone. They do not ever have to worry or fear that I will turn My back on them. I have chosen them forever. I am intimately acquainted with every aspect of their lives, and I want them to enjoy all that I have chosen for them on earth. When they trust in Me, they will know My joy and My provision. Eternal life is not just a very long life, but one filled with joy and blessings abundantly.”

            48. I can trust God to always be with me. He will never desert me nor forsake me. I will never be alone again.

You can do all things:

Philippians 4:13

13     I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

     

            Remember that we talked about this in the opening. This doesn’t mean that we are guaranteed to do all things, but that we have the capacity to do them through Jesus who will strengthen us. We have the potential to do all things. We don’t have to do them in our own might. We can do them, if we let Him employ His approach.

If you could hear God speak to you, I believe this is what He would say:

            "There is nothing that could ever come upon you that you cannot handle through Me. I have supplied all that you will ever need to do what I have called you to do. You are not weak in Me. You are strong in the power of My Spirit. He will guide you and supply you with all you will ever need to accomplish My goals for your life. Apart from Me you can do nothing, but in My strength, you can do all things.”

            47. I can do all things through Christ. That means that there is nothing that comes to me that I cannot do. I will never fail as long as I entrust myself to Him and His strength.

No one snatches out of His hand:

John 10:27-29

27     “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;

     28     and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.

     29     “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.

     

            We will follow our Shepherd, because we recognize His voice, and because He knows us by name. Some people say that you can’t hear God. This says that we not only can hear Him, we can distinguish when it is His voice and when it is another’s voice. This also says that we know we have eternal life, and that we will never perish. This is another verse that gives us assurance that God didn’t choose us just for a lifetime. He chose us eternally. No one can steal us out of Jesus’ hand, because no one is powerful enough to seize us out of the Father’s hand. We don’t have to fear that someone will keep us from making it to the end.

If you could hear God speak to you, I believe this is what He would say:

            "My children are special unto Me. I did not choose them just to have them depart from Me after a short time. I chose them forever. There is no one nor any thing powerful enough to snatch them out of My hand. I will hold on to them as long as they will let Me. They need not fear that I will ever reject them, nor that anyone can keep them from knowing My love forever.”

            46. I can rest assured that I am safe in Jesus’ hand. The Father will see to that. I have eternal life and will never perish.             

Crucified with Christ:

Galatians 2:20

20     “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

     

            When Christ was crucified, we were legally crucified with Him. He lives His holy life in us, as we permit Him. If we try to live this life in our own power, we will fail. We can only live it by having faith in Him to live His life in us. It’s hard for us to keep from trying to live it on our own. We are so used to doing things for ourselves that we won’t rely on Him or anyone else to live it for us. He gave Himself up for this … we should do our best to allow Him to live His life in us.

If you could hear God speak to you, I believe this is what He would say:

            "There is no way that you could live the life that I have chosen for you in your own strength. You need My help in all that you do. You cannot live the life that My Son lived without My help. Too many people have tried and failed. Do not try to do it in your own strength and willpower. You must have My help in order to achieve all that I desire for you. My Son in you will provide the way. He has succeeded in living the life that I desire for all My children, and He will do the same in you. If you let Him, He will provide the way to be what I desire for all My children.”

            45. I am crucified with Christ and therefore dead. I will live the Christian life by having faith in Him to live it through me. I will succeed, because Christ cannot fail.

What Jesus does for us:

            Makes intercession for us:

Hebrews 7:25

25     Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

     

Romans 8:34

34     who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.

     

            First of all, when He saves us, it is forever. It’s not something that we should fear losing (remember our assumptions); or fear that He will take our salvation back. Also, we need not fear that we will have to go it alone. If we need help, Jesus is always there to make intercession for us. He’s not going to leave us to fend for ourselves. Since He knows exactly what we need and how to obtain it, He knows how to intercede successfully for us. He will also give us the perfect prayer to pray. Even though God knows what we need before we even ask, we still need to ask for it in the right way.

If you could hear God speak to you, I believe this is what He would say:

            "Are you ever lonely? Are you ever afraid? Are you ever in need of anything? My Son daily makes intercession for you … that you may be complete in everything. In all My ways and in all My words, you are to walk. He intercedes for this. He desires to have brothers and sisters just like Himself. He knows what you need, and He comes before Me to plead your case. He knows your strengths and your weaknesses. He knows when you lack and how to obtain your deliverance. He will never cease to make His case for you; that I should supply all that you need.”

            44. I have someone, Jesus, who will always bring my needs to the Father. He knows exactly what I need and how to ask for it.