"We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;" II Cor. 4:8,9.

How many of us as believers, at some time during our earthly pilgrimage, though we dare not voice it, will feel like saying, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And truly He might have: by all that is righteous He should have utterly forsaken us. But according to His divine purpose, our Lord Jesus bore upon Himself, our sin; He was forsaken, in our stead: for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish . . .should not be forsaken; should not be cast away. . .

“Blessed be the Lord, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise. . .The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers: let him not leave us, nor forsake us:” I Kings 8:57. Thus did Solomon bless the congregation following his prayer of dedication of the temple. “there hath not failed one word of all his good promise:” “For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” Heb. 13:5. The message never changes. It’s a Blessed Promise, it is an unfailing promise, it is an eternal promise!

Notice in the first verse of John chapter 15, that "I AM is in all caps; that Christ is without question identifying himself as God, the I AM of the book of Exodus.

"Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch [in me] that beareth fruit, he purgeth it. . ." Though not expressed in the Greek, it is to be understood, "every branch in me." The word 'Airo' as used in other scriptures is "to lift up, to bear up," and in no wise "cast away." The caring Husbandman lifts up, bears up the unfruitful branch; it shall receive his undivided attention - it shall in no wise perish! Remember, "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise "cast out!" John 6:37.

Every branch [in me] that beareth fruit, he purgeth it. It is a cleansing. Compare the footwashing of the disciples. The believer has the imputed righteousness of Christ, but needs cleansing in his earthly walk. The branch is in need of the "washing of water;" the cleansing away of the infestation of parasites, of mold, of insects. ". . .Christ loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish" Ephesians 5:25b- 27.

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:" II Tim. 3:16. "Reproof? Correction? Instruction? Lay this along side the "washing of water by the Word"; the sanctifying and cleansing. . .Should we not anticipate the applying of the word in our lives, in our circumstances, even in adversities? According to His Purpose, we are called; according to His Purpose, we love Him; according to His Purpose, all things work together for good.

“For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;” Phil. 1:29. “If we suffer, it is not an indication that the Lord is absent; that He is far-removed from our presence. Quite the contrary! Let us be assured that His Presence is ever near! Let us not look down, thinking ourselves dejected; that we are under the gloom of a dark cloud. Look up! We are under the shadow of His wings! We think of the darkened sky; how it hides the light of the sun. My dear friend, you can’t hide the Light of the Son!

In the calling of Saul, the Lord sent a disciple, Ananias as a witness; and as an instrument in the restoring of his sight. "The Lord said unto him, go thy way; for he [Saul] is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake" Acts 9:15-16. How this defies human reasoning! A chosen vessel unto the Lord - yet in the same sentence, "great things he must suffer for my name's sake!" And he was - and he did. Remember the words of the apostle? "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, [not cast out] but not destroyed;" Despite all of that, Paul's testimony, his goal, remains unshakable: "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;" Phil. 3:10. If we "fast-forward to the end of Paul's life, we find an almost joyful testimony! "For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:" And the course has been as it began: one of great suffering -"for my name's sake." Paul, was it worth it? "Henceforth, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing!"

Ere we feel forsaken, may we see "the Man of sorrows;" become acquainted with his grief. Shall we sorrow in our daily sufferings? My dear friend, He "has borne our griefs, carried our sorrows." His was multiplied suffering, bearing both His own and also our sorrows on the tree: bearing our iniquities. . . He is "touched with the feeling of our infirmities." “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah!” Psalm 68:19.

“Whether I go, ye cannot come“ John13:33. “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” John 14:2b,3. The question arises: What about the scripture, “For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee?” The scripture we quoted at the beginning: “The Lord our God be with us. . .he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” I Kings 8. (He speaks far beyond the physical. Jesus was on earth about 33 years and with the disciples only about three.) Does the New Testament agree? “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his” Rom. 8:9. The scriptures give testimony: we are indwelt by the Spirit of God; the Spirit of Christ! Further, of the Old Testament prophets it is said, “the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand, the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow” I Peter 1:11.

The return of our Lord? It is a Blessed Prospect! His promise until He comes: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you” John 14:27. It is A Blessed Peace!”

After writing the article, Forsaken? Never!, I thought to add an additional paragraph. But as you can see, it did not quite work out that way!

We continue our study with some reflections concerning Jesus and His disciples: “And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away” Matt.14:22. As Jesus began to dismiss the congregation, the disciples, ambassadors of Christ and in His name, followed His directive and cast off toward the land of Gennesarat.

From the first the call had always been, follow me. “And Jesus walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother. . .And he saith unto them, follow me. . .And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him” Matt. 4:18,19,21,22. Now the disciples have been given a command contrary to the norm; not, follow me, but go before me. It will bring about a new experience that they will never forget.

After the departure of the disciples and the multitude, Jesus went up into a mountain apart to pray. It was in the fourth watch of the night that Jesus came down from Mount Zion; came unto His disciples, now clinging onto that little vessel that was being blown about and tossed by the waves. But I would suppose that as He came walking on the sea, that the waves bowed before His feet in submission (unlike the sea of men who as violent waves, do continuously rise up against Him.)

Christ is come unto us, that we might come unto Him.

The disciples desired to bring their vessel into a haven of safety. But if one cannot presently bring their ship into harbor, he can be comforted that the Haven of Rest is on board the ship: even if the storm remains without, Peace may be found within!

Forsaken? Never! We continue our line of thought with a few examples. . .

Consider Noah and the flood: Noah’s ark was really God’s ark: it was the surety of the covenant that He would establish with Noah. He was the architect who designed it; He created the materials with which it was built. Noah was the obedient servant who saw to its construction.

“But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’ wives with thee” Gen. 6:18. Covenant? Ark? What would be a logical name to be given here? The Ark of the Covenant! “And the Lord said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark. . .and the Lord shut him in” Gen. 7:1,16. The Lord did not say - Noah, Go in to the ark, but Come in - the Lord is already onboard. If He’s already onboard then how did he shut the door? If you’ve ever flown on a commercial aircraft, you should have noticed that the last procedure in readying for takeoff is in the flight attendant pulling the door closed - from the inside - she’s going on the trip, too! The Lord Himself was onboard the ark; and He was both flight attendant and Captain! After all, it is His Ark! Should He not be onboard for its maiden voyage?

“And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights. . .And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered. Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered” Gen. 7:12,19,20. Yet man and beast were kept safe. Though the waters prevailed they could not prevail against them. The swell could only lift them up Godward. The Lord God had established a covenant with Noah. They were onboard the ship, a type of the ark. The true Ark of the Covenant; the Lord, was in the midst! Forsaken? Never!

Consider the wilderness journey of the children of Israel: “And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: “And they departed from the mount of the Lord three days’ journey: and the ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them in the three days’ journey, to search out a resting place for them” Num. 10:32. “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” Matt. 11:28. It is deute, Gr., “Come, follow me.” Shall we not follow the Lord, the Ark of the Covenant; for He has promised rest? He shall not seek out a place of rest for us; He need not; for He is our Rest!

Consider Joshua and Israel at the Jordan: “And Joshua spake unto the priests, saying, take up the ark of the covenant, and pass over before the people” Joshua 3:9.

Consider Joshua and Israel at Jericho: “And it came to pass, when Joshua had spoken to the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of ram’s horns passed on before the Lord, and blew with the trumpets: and the ark of the covenant of the Lord followed them” Joshua 6:8. And behind it came all the body of the people. (Can it be that the disciples had a “Jericho” to overcome; and there was a purpose for Christ, the Ark of the Covenant, to follow them?)

“the ark was given the place of honor, being made central in the order of the processional. . .The ark was the recognized symbol of Jehovah’s presence, and its being carried before the congregation was to intimate the victory was from Him. . .When assured that the Lord is not only for us but with us, fear gives place to holy confidence. Deeply important is it for the servant of Christ. . .to rest upon His blessed promise, “Lo I AM with you alway. . .” and “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.” Gleanings in Joshua, page 152, A. W. Pink

When God would lead the people, the Ark of the Covenant went before them; but whether facing a fiery furnace or going into battle, the Ark would always be in the midst!

Consider the three Hebrew children: Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego; “these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. . .they fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. . .And he [the king] answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God” Dan. 3:21,23,25. “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” Matt. 18:20. How’s that for fulfilling scripture!

The Ark of the Covenant went before; it [He] led the children of Israel to green pastures; beside still waters; in the paths of righteousness. But when faced with the valley of the shadow of death: “Thou art with me.” Or, Thou art in the midst! “Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; [Noah] and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee [Jordan]: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. [Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego] For I AM the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Savior” Isa. 42:1-3. Forsaken? Never!

Returning to Jesus and the disciples: their ship was in the midst of the sea - and the Lord God, the Ark of the Covenant, was in their midst (but little did they know it!) Their little vessel could no more capsize than could Noah’s ark! No! someone cries. Jesus was not onboard; He was up on a mountain, praying! The trouble with this sort of thinking is that we tend to look through the eyes of the flesh; (especially when we are distressed), that we [momentarily] forget that Jesus is the God/Man. Without meaning to, we are (in our finite thinking), placing limitations on the person of Jesus Christ. From the mountain, shrouded by the darkness of night and in the downpour of torrent rain; He saw them. He knew exactly where they were; He walked on the water; He spoke and the storm ceased; the waters laid prostrate at His feet. . .but we cannot see that the power of God rested on that vessel; that Christ, the Ark of the Covenant was both on the mountain and onboard that ship! How can we explain this verse: “And no man hath ascended to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven” John 3:13. Someone explain this: “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him” John 14:23. “You mean that Jesus can be in two places at once: seated in heaven at the right hand of the Father - and in my heart at the same time?”

The disciples were afraid. Not only were they in the midst of the darkness of night; in the midst of a stormy sea; but they were all-the-more fearful for they knew not that the Lord was in their midst! “Lord, we don’t know where you are!” “No, but I know where you are!” The blind man said, I cannot see; therefore I fail to see how anyone else can see! Perhaps our own fears would be lessened if we thought thusly: “Lord, I cannot see you; I don’t know where you are - but I do know that you know where I am; and I believe your word: “Lo, I AM with you alway, even unto the end of the world. . .I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” Matt. 28:20, Heb. 13:5. Wherein should I take comfort; in knowing where He is, or in knowing that He knows where I am?

I can think of nothing better with which to end this study than to consider the example of the apostle Paul. As our brother was being taken by ship to Rome, “there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon. . . And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.” “But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them” Acts 27:14,21. “And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship. For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve. Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God. . . Acts 27:22-25a.

Where now, stood He to whom Paul belonged, He whom Paul served; the Ark of the Covenant? In the midst! And not only did he stand by Paul, but He stood by Paul! May our testimony be as that of our Brother: I believe God; He is standing by me! He will never leave me, nor forsake me!

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