God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’6 So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?’ – Hebrews 13:5-6
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The last 9 months have taken its toll on many of us. We feel tired and worn out by the endless grind of Covid-19 restrictions. In these grey, wet, and cold days we might even be feeling the four walls closing in on us. This weariness might be distracting us from following God and loving others. It might even be leading to us feel discontented with all that God has given us. The letter to the Hebrews was written to Christians who were suffering for their faith due to persecution. In the weariness of constant pressure from others, some were tempted to stop loving God and those around them. They were tempted with the danger of being discontented with God. In the final chapter, the writer gives them a series of commands. He calls on them to keep on loving others, to remember those who suffer, to stay pure, and to be content with what God has given them, to remember their leaders and to imitate their way of life. In the middle of these commands he gives them hope. He reminds them that God has said he will never leave them or forsake them. This means, as they seek to follow Jesus through the sufferings of persecution, they can be confident. Not in their own strength or their own abilities but because the Lord is their helper. As their helper they have no need to fear those who are persecuting them because their enemies are nothing but mere human beings. They cannot overcome the Christian or overwhelm them because God is bigger and stronger than they are. This truth is still true today. As we feel tired and worn out, as we feel overcome and overwhelmed by Covid-19, as we face the temptation to give up or to be discontented, the Lord has promised that he will never leave us or forsake us. He is always with us and for us and he is ready to help us. Therefore, we can be confident that the troubles of this life will not ultimately overwhelm us or overcome us because God is bigger and stronger than them.
As we seek to follow God during these difficult days may we know the Lord’s ever present help.
Yours in Christ
Mark