“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged“ (Deuteronomy 31:8).

There are so many important elements to this promise. For example, it is the Lord himself who goes before us. He may command his angel army, but he does not delegate or abdicate his own role in this promise. Also, he goes before us and with us. Timewise and location-wise, he is always with us as he provides His leadership. And we know He is able to do this because of his divine attributes:

1. He is eternal. Friends and family may pass away; but God is forever.
2. He is omnipresent—present everywhere all the time. Pastors may be called to another church, but God will never leave us.
3. He is all-powerful, and He is Good, so his power will aways be used to serve His good purposes.

We know from 1 John 4:8 that “God is Love.” In 1 Corinthians 13:7-8, we find the beautiful description of love—or–God, in that “(Love) always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” We can count on God to never forsake us.

I was studying Exodus in preparation for a Bible study and read this passage with a fresh perspective: “Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long” (Exodus 14:19-20).

Most commentators interpret the “angel of God” to be God himself or Jesus, son of God. The angel of God had been leading Moses and the children of Israel from Exodus to the Promised Land, going before them as a pillar of fire by day and a cloud by night. The Egyptian army gained on them as they approached the Red Sea; seemingly, they were about to be captured. But God moved from in front (where the Israelites could see Him) to behind, to protect them. In other words, God literally “had their backs!”

How many times have I felt abandoned by God, when he was there with me all along. He was still with me even though I could not see him, because he was engaged in battle or protective maneuvers. Therefore, I should trust in Him and not be afraid or become discouraged.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).

Own In Christ,

Judy