© 2006 SeanDietrich.com

I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU
By Sean Dietrich

Remember these lines of Jesus from the end of Matthew 28: “I am with you always, even until the end of the age.” In Hebrews God says, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Have you ever thought about these sayings? I mean, lots of people have them as magnets on their refrigerator, but who really thinks about the meaning?

Some fiery preachers warn their congregation that hidden sin will immediately “separate you from God.” I have heard it said by a famous evangelist; “You’d better not do anything wrong, or God’s spirit will be forced to depart from you.”

Is this the Jesus we serve? Is your Jesus so delicately attached to you by a thread, so that the moment you flub up he leaves? This used to be the picture I had of the Father in. I was so grieved every time I messed up. I thought he had temporarily left me! What a lonesome feeling of failure and rejection. I thought God was supposed to love me! How can this be?!

I GUESS HE MEANT IT

Religion tells us that God only sticks around when we’re good little boys and girls, but what about when we lie, steal and cheat? Or worse, what if we do those bad things ON PURPOSE!? Or what about when we are selfish, vain, arrogant, unforgiving, greedy, or nasty to those we love? Does God “take-five” until we decide to “get right?”

Just think about his words: “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Jesus is promising us that He’s not letting go! I don’t know about you, but that makes me feel pretty good. No matter what mess I get myself into, or what kind of idiotic things I do, (and I do a bunch of them) Jesus isn’t letting go!

Do my own sins and selfishness still hurt me? Of course they do! But why would Jesus leave us when we are hurting? Jesus is lovingly telling us that no matter how deep in the mud we find ourselves, he’s not letting go!

Boy are we loved! It really brings me to tears!