In a certain tribe, when a young man turns 13, he is taken through a final test of manhood. He is taken into a forest inhabited by wild animals and left alone in the dark. All through the night the boy is tortured by his imagination as he listens to the sounds of the night. He is startled by every shadow, the creaking of the trees and the rustling of the leaves. Peering in the darkness his mind imagines all kinds of evil things creeping up on him. With heart racing, he hunkers down and prays for the dawn. Finally after a tortuous night he sees the first faint glimmer of light. As the light increases he can now see the trees; and then he see something! There, only a few feet away, is a man leaning against a tree, with his weapons in hand. It is his own father who has been guarding him through the long dark night. This lesson is designed to teach the young man that “He is not alone in the darkness of life.”
This story is could have been taken right from the Bible. In Hebrews 13:5-6.
God makes his greatest promise to those he loves “He Himself has said ‘I will never leave you, nor will I ever forsake you. So that we may confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid.’”
I will “NEVER”…. Stop and ponder the meaning and significance of this word, in your life! No matter what happens, no matter who does what to who, no matter how things look, your heavenly father is only a few feet away, standing with you in the dark, armed with powerful weapons of warfare.
Let me add, even when we are not faithful, he has promised never to forsake us. In Psalm 139:7-12 David is very aware of God’s irrevocable promise to him and he says: “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me. If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me and the light around me will be night,” Even the darkness is not dark to You and the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You.”
“I will never, never, never leave you or forsake you.” When we put our faith in this promise our whole perspective of life changes. Now we know that we are not alone in the dark situations of life. He is with us in the glories of life and in the challenges of life.
So that we may confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid.”
So what shall we say when we feel like we are left alone in the dark? We shall look out at the darkness and confidently say “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid”. What shall we say when things happen in life? We will confidently look those things in the eye and say “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid”.
Is there something going on in your life that you need to speak to? What will you say to it? Try this! Try speaking this declaration to your problem: “The Lord will never leave me or forsake me, therefore I am confidently saying, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid”.