Great is Thy Faithfulness

I receive these brief devotionals on a regular basis from this pastor and here is another that spoke to my heart.



Forsaken by All

From the Pastor: Dr. M. J. Seymour, Sr.



By heaven’s eternal decree, Jesus came into the world for the ultimate purpose of dying upon the cross. When He was working miracles, multitudes flocked to Him. When He fed the multitudes, they gladly took all they could from Him. However, when Jesus began to teach hard things, the multitudes dwindled to the few. When Jesus was determined to do the will of the Father and to finish the work for which He was sent, it is written: “And they all forsook him, and fled.” (Mk. 14:50) Jesus was left alone to fulfill the will of the Father. Forsaken by all, Jesus finished the work for which He was sent. The Sacrificial Lamb of God died upon the cross, forsaken by all.

When Paul the Apostle stood to give his defense in the judgment hall, he said: “At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me...” In Paul’s determination to preach the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ regardless of the consequences, he found himself abandoned by man, especially when it came to the heaviest yoke of the calling. Yet, in contrast to the Lord, Paul wrote: “Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me...” (II Tim. 4:16,17) Man forsook him, but God did not; God ever remained his Comforter.

When Joshua was commissioned by God after the death of Moses, God told him: “...as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage...” (Josh. 1:5,6) In his calling he would be alone to fulfill his duty, but God promised not to forsake him, and He never did.

King David wrote: “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging for bread. ... For the Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever...” (Ps. 37:25,28) God never forsakes the righteous!

The heavenly calling of God frequently brings one to journey through the valley forsaken by all men. No man can tell you how to fulfill the purpose of God for your life. Those closest to Jesus tried to stop Him from going to the cross. Those closest to Paul tried to stop him from fulfilling his destiny. The hardest part of God’s calling is when those closest to you THINK they know what the purpose of God is for you, even better than you know what it is. Do what God has called YOU to do, and He will never leave you standing alone!