Never Alone

For He Himself (God) has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5b NKJV)

You have hedged me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it. (Psalm 139:5-6 NKJV)

In the times in which we live today that seemingly confront us with challenges and opportunities of every possible category, the promise given by God in Hebrews 13:5 is both comforting and reassuring. To know that Jesus promised, in Matthew 28:20, to be with His disciples always even until the end of the age is confidence building for those who love God and believe He loves them.  Our strength in every situation is to focus on God’s commitment to us to be ever-present and available to us. The more we can concentrate on His promises and devotion to our success in following Christ, the more we can experience the peace, joy, grace, mercy, and love of God. To put this simply or to summarize this thought is to say that God has our backs in every situation of life.   

In Psalms 139:5-6 quoted above, the Psalmist was expressing his belief that God had hedged him in.  The hedge indicates being surrounded, protected, or limited.  Some might even say that he was boxed in.  That’s a place of security. The Psalmist was making this declaration with excitement knowing that the God of the universe was concerned enough about him that He had surrounded and was committed to protecting him.  He goes on to say that the Lord had laid His hand on him allowing for a personal relationship to be developed.  This whole concept and reality of God “having his back” was knowledge too wonderful to fully grasp or comprehend.

I think many today have the same feelings or inability to fully comprehend the level and extent of God’s love and protection for His people.  I believe that when we are able to experience the depth of God’s commitment to us, then we are empowered to share and exercise confidence and security with others.  When we understand what God has done for us through His love, we want to share it.  I want to encourage you to share this knowledge and exhilaration with your spouse and family each day. 

We sometimes are quick to say to one another that we have each other’s back, but can they really feel our hand on their back providing support?  The Psalmist had been through some experiences that made him know that God was present and He cared.  In our marriages, we must make every effort to convey our love and support for each other.  This becomes an assignment and opportunity to express the sense and reality of being committed to the success of our spouse. We can define that success as only being achieved when both of you are pleased and satisfied that your mate is surrounded by your love.  There is no greater feeling of love, security, and contentment than knowing God has your back, but the second best is being secure and assured enough to help your mate experience the commitment of knowing you also have their back, come what may.

Make a commitment to study and get to know God well enough that you have the assurance of Him having your back. In other words, you have the confidence that God is saying to you, “I will protect you. I am here for you. I will defend you. I will support you. I will look after you. I’ll watch over you. I will stand by you”. And then commit to the daily expression and exercise of that same love received from God to your mate and family.