"I always see the Lord near me,
and I will not be afraid
with him at my right side.
Because of this,
my heart will be glad,
my words will be joyful,
and I will live in hope.
The Lord won't leave me
in the grave.
I am his holy one,
and he won't let
my bones decay.
He has shown me
the path to life,
and he makes me glad
by being near me."
Acts 2:25b-28
(quoting David in Ps 16)
I'm realizing there is a big fear Satan has tried to push on me most of my life - the fear of being rejected and left alone. We all crave that unconditional love, to know we're known, understood, and completely embraced and delighted in...accepted. And it seems the reverse of that is the fear of being misunderstood, uncared for, ignored, and abandoned....rejected.
But God says in the New Covenant of Grace, "You ARE accepted in the Beloved" (Eph. 1:6) and "I will NEVER leave you or forsake you!" (Heb. 13:5b)
In the good news of grace, God is promising us that He accepts us without the possiblitly of our ever being rejected and left alone/forsaken. He has so rigged the New Covenant that it is based on Christi's faithful work in His perfect, once for all time sacrifice, and also based on Christ's undying presence before the Father as High Priest of the New Covenant. We have a perfect sacrifice, a perfect righteousness given to us, and a perfect High Priest standing up for us against all the accusations of the enemy! We can't be condemned because we have HIS own righteousness! We have been perfected forever through HIS perfect sacrifice! And this stands forever because HE ever lives to intercede for us! And what's more, He has sent His own Spirit into us to be the life source within us, a life that is eternal and CAN'T be destroyed! The Spirit is in us as a law, HIS nature has been given to us as our new nature, and that nature CAN'T sin or turn away from God, for He's the HOLY Spirit who always believes, thinks, and acts right!
We are a clean temple with the Perfect God of the Universe dwelling within, and it's all set up in such a way that it can't be revoked, changed, or ruined by us! That's because the whole New Covenant is based on HIM and HIS work, and therefore it's settled and done forever...Wow! We have really been brought into perfect union with God forever, in an unchangeable way, for it's impossible for God to lie, and He said, I will NEVER LEAVE YOU OR FORSAKE YOU; instead, He promises with an oath, even, that Surely I will BLESS YOU!
He will never leave us. He is always near us. He is within us, Spirit bonded to spirit! Our spirits are ONE! You can't get any closer than that!
This gives me great relief and joy. We will never be abandoned or left alone to face this world on our own. We have Big Brother Jesus backing us up, the dear Comforter Holy Spirit guiding and reassuring us and being with us through it all, and Father God carrying us in His arms at ALL times - we are safe, secure, found, hopeful, cherished, free from fear - His perfect love won't ever be removed from us, and it's a love that ACTS on our behalf to move mountains, calm storms, heal broken bodies and hearts, and change circumstances to always bring us through in victory. His is a love and a life that always conquers, always wins, is always over all!
Grace reigns through Jesus Christ in my life! All because of Him, and I need do nothing - He has done it all and will carry it to completion! Thank You, Lord! Your nearness makes me rejoice and sends the fear of abandonment away!
