Never Forsaken by J. A. Merrill

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · May 4, 1882

"Never Forsaken."

By J. A. Merrill

HAVE you ever noticed that in Hebrews 13:5, there are five negatives piled one right on top of another, to confirm the immutable declaration of God to his children--I will never, no never leave, nor ever forsake, thee? That he will never fail us in the performance of whatever he has promised us? "The Lord is not slack," says St. Peter, "concerning his promises." What a storehouse this is from which we can draw the most abundant provision to satisfy our spiritual cravings! How the star-like promise gleams brighter amid all the galaxy of promises in the immeasurable truths of God's eternal words, to those in the vale of sorrow! How priceless! How comprehensive! What an assurance of help when help may be needed! He is always with us. Be the sky ever so black, or be the sky ever so sunshiny, he is beside us just the same. When the troubles and annoyances of life come, he is with us. When physical courage seems about to fail, we hear him say, "I will not forsake thee. Let not your heart be troubled." When the cup of sorrow is brimful, and all earthly helps appear as weak as nothing, hear him, "I will not forsake thee." When the friendships of this world fly away from us as thistle-down when struck with a rod, "I am a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. I will never leave thee." When the death-shadow creeps over the face of our beloved, this is what will sustain us, "I am with thee. Lean you upon me." When the devil, through dark, hidden temptation, would make shipwrecks of our immortal souls, "I have prayed for thee. I will never, no never forget thee." When, like Hopeful, in Bunyan's allegory, we wander into By-Path Meadow, and grim, old surly-voiced Giant Despair throws us into Doubting Castle, He gives us this key that will unlock every dungeon door, "Lo! I am with you always."

Oh! then, in every adversity, in every little grief, in every stinging temptation with the great adversary of souls, hear ye the clarion tones of the Master, ringing out high and beyond all this confusion in spiritual life, "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers they shall not overflow thee; when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee." "Be of good courage." "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." How the foamy crests of these huge waves of fear and trouble that were about to overwhelm us, as we supposed, will then calm down and seem but like the faintest rippling of celestial melody. "I, even I, 'have loved thee with an everlasting love.'" In life, at death, and forever God is with us. Let us, then, be faithful, earnest, prayerful, truthful, upon our part. "For if God is for us, who can be against us?" Let us learn eagerly every lesson in this school of probation. The time is short at the longest. As Rutherford saith, "Faint not, for the miles to Heaven are few and short." Rejoice and be glad. God knows what is best. We will understand it all when we get home.

Then be content, poor heart! God's plans, like lilies pure and white, unfold; We must not tear the close-shut leaves apart, Time will reveal the calyxes of gold; And if through patient toil, we reach the land Where tired feet with sandals loosed may rest, Where we shall clearly know and understand, I think that we will say, "God knew the best."

-J. A. Merrill, in Christian at Work.