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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)

Pastor Michael has been speaking about the journey of life and faith this past while.  Starting well, finishing well, and navigating mid-life course corrections as Christ is formed in us. 

All this talk of the journey has made me think of another text that one of you shared with us a few weeks back.  It’s this text I read from Deuteronomy that has punctuated many a worship service at Immanuel in the years past.  As we entered into our worship services we were often reminded of God’s promise never to leave nor forsake us: the works of his hands. 

These words were first spoken by Moses to the Israelites about to cross the Jordan out of the unknown of the desert and into the unknown of a new land.  In that time of major transition and uncertainty, the Israelites could be certain of one thing: God’s presence with them.

As we journey through our lives, and especially through these wearisome days of stay-at-home orders, that promise of God seems particularly relevant: a confronting invitation to entrust our fear and discouragement to the Lord who himself goes before us in this wilderness pilgrimage.

The writer of Hebrews puts this promise even more directly as a word from God to us: “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”

So, as you journey on through life today, whether you’re at the start, near the finish, or somewhere in the middle, remember: God’s with you.  He hasn’t left, nor has he forsaken you.

And that reminds me of a quote I’ve often cited in talking with younger members of our church at the start of their journeys, pondering the different roads that could lie ahead.  It’s from Craig Barnes in his book, Searching for Home: Spirituality for Restless Souls.  It goes like this: 

“Every road leads to a fork, and every fork in the road eventually leads to another.  But all of the roads belong to God.  The real challenge is not choosing the correct fork, but learning to walk with the Savior who can use any road to bring us home.” 

So do not be afraid.  Do not be discouraged.  Our Saviour walks the road with us.  No matter where we are in the journey, we can trust that with his faithful never-leaving-nor-forsaking presence, we’ll arrive safely home.