Trust in Him Who Will Not Leave You

John 6:66–69 NLT

66 At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. 67 Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?” 68 Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. 69 We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.”

SUBJECT: Trust in Him Who Will Not Leave You

In the most difficult times, we can trust deeply that the parts of God’s will we don’t want are the very things He will use to accomplish His eternal plan!

He is faithful not to wound us at random; He is faithful to save us forever. Throughout our lives, we will surely experience pain and heartache, but they are not meant to thwart the mission of the Lord, but to further it!

So, keep standing. Keep trusting. Echo Peter’s words as your declaration of truth in troubled times:

“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God”.

As Jesus drew closer to the cross and to His death, His disciples became more and more frightened and disoriented. They were hoping for something more “secure”. Not surprisingly, some of His followers began to fall away. But Peter had it right. He understood that the best thing for them at the time was to press in even closer to Jesus than before. There was no better place for them to be.

Trust more during the darkest times.

Know that God is working. There’s a method to what seems like madness.

Matthew 26:47–56 NLT

47 And even as Jesus said this, Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived with a crowd of men armed with swords and clubs. They had been sent by the leading priests and elders of the people. 48 The traitor, Judas, had given them a prearranged signal: “You will know which one to arrest when I greet him with a kiss.” 49 So Judas came straight to Jesus. “Greetings, Rabbi!” he exclaimed and gave him the kiss. 50 Jesus said, “My friend, go ahead and do what you have come for.” Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested him. 51 But one of the men with Jesus pulled out his sword and struck the high priest’s slave, slashing off his ear. 52 “Put away your sword,” Jesus told him. “Those who use the sword will die by the sword. 53 Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly? 54 But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that describe what must happen now?” 55 Then Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I some dangerous revolutionary, that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me? Why didn’t you arrest me in the Temple? I was there teaching every day. 56 But this is all happening to fulfill the words of the prophets as recorded in the Scriptures.” At that point, all the disciples deserted him and fled.

Notice verse 56: All of this was happening to fulfill the words of the prophets as recorded in the Scriptures. At that point, all the disciples deserted him and fled.

Those times when we want to move just to keep from feeling trapped are the very times we need to be still and lean in closer to embrace His will. Don’t leave ... cleave! The more closely you walk with Christ in the uncomfortable of the unknown, the greater clarity of life you will experience. Are you confused? Hurt? Disoriented? Cling to Christ and His Word like never before.

Don’t get mad, get glad.

Getting mad during you season of distress doesn’t help.

James 1:19–21 NLT

19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. 20 Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. 21 So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.

Anger is a secondary emotion. It doesn’t achieve the will of God.

In tough times our anger and resentment can begin to simmer. We imagine that by drifting away or giving God the cold shoulder, we can teach Him a thing or two.

The beginning step is to seek an ally that will love us better than God. Some see alcohol as a ready friend offering quick comfort. Others believe a church switch to where “people really understand me” will relieve their pain. Coping mechanisms and strategies for handling hurts and disappointments abound.

But regardless of the action we choose, we’re focusing again on a tiny pencil dot on the line of eternity. Maybe that very realization is what prompted Peter to declare to Jesus, “Where else would we go?”