“And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed” (Deuteronomy 31:8).
Can you tell the future? Do you know for sure what will happen tomorrow? Planning for the future is something everyone does, but sometimes things don’t go the way we planned! When we think about tomorrow, we might grow excited thinking about something fun we have planned, or maybe we aren’t looking forward to tomorrow because something hard is in the future.
Deuteronomy 31:8 was spoken by Moses. When Moses was 120 years old, it was time for him to hand over the leadership of the Israelites to Joshua. Moses knew there would probably be some tough times ahead for Joshua, so he spoke these words to him to encourage him.
What does Deuteronomy 31:8 promise about God?
First, God goes ahead of us. “And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee.” God is our great leader, and because He knows everything, He can go before us into those scary and unknown times of our lives. We are safe in His care, and He is always with us.
Second, God will not fail us. “He will not fail thee.” God always keeps His promises and it is impossible for Him to fail. As humans, we may make wrong choices, but God will always choose the very best for us because He is always working for our good.
Third, God will never leave us. “Neither [will He] forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.” What a great comfort this is. There may be trials ahead when we face scary times and feel all alone! We may feel discouraged, as if things will never be right again. But Deuteronomy 31:8 promises that God will not leave us, no matter how hard things get.
As you look ahead at the coming days or weeks, maybe you are dreading something unpleasant or scary. I’m sure that Joshua was afraid when he thought about having to lead the Israelites without Moses there to give him advice. Like Joshua, you can remember the promise of God spoken by Moses.
You may be unsure of what is ahead, but God goes before you. You may not think you can do it, but God promises that He will never ever fail you. You may feel all alone, but God promises He will never leave you. Just as He was with Moses and Joshua, He will be with you. So remember this great promise from God’s Word as you face the days ahead. With God’s help, nothing is impossible!
God goes with me through hard times.
My response:
» When I am afraid of the future, do I remind myself that God promises to go before me and to be with me?