A Love That Never Leaves
By: Allie Joy Hudson
3 min. read
A Renewed Truth
As we celebrate Passion Week this week and reflect on Jesus’ great sacrifice and victory for us, I wanted to share something that God reminded me of recently. This small but significant lesson really stood out to me because the Lord helped me to see a truth that I’ve been hearing for years in a fresh way.
The other day, God brought Hebrews 13:5b to my mind. This verse says, “for He Himself has said, ‘I will never desert you, nor will I ever abandon you.’” It’s also translated, “‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’”
I want to share some points of truth that God gave me through re-showing me this verse. I hope they encourage your heart and point you back to Jesus this Easter season.
An Eternal Promise
We are called to be in relationship with one another. Human relationships are a beautiful, life-giving, necessary thing. But they aren’t always entirely secure. People hurt people. We make mistakes, fall short, and don’t always love each other like we should. We aren’t always there for one another like we are called to be.
But Jesus will never fail us. He will never leave us or abandon us. These are statements of promise, truths that will be upheld. God is ever constant and ever faithful. He won’t leave when things get hard. He loves us fiercely and He won’t let us go. His love for us will never change. Don’t take these things for granted. Praise Jesus for these truths and for His constant, faithful love.
Related: Raising From the Dead
A Love Underserved
Jesus is faithful to us and present with us even when we are not consistent in our love for Him. He has promised not to leave us – His beloved, chosen people – and continues to love us even when we definitely don’t deserve to be loved.
This makes me think of Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” In verse ten, Paul goes as far as to call us “enemies” of God before Jesus saved us. Jesus loved us even when were living in a way that was actively opposed to Him.
If He loved us then, He loves us now. Even when we fail. Even when we don’t choose Him. When we slip up and give into our lust. He loves us through all of this, while we are still sinners, but sinners in process, on our way to becoming more and more like Him.
“The Father Turns His Face Away”
Tomorrow, as we remember Jesus’ physically, emotionally, and spiritually excruciating death (that He willingly chose to do for us!), let’s also remember another truth about God never abandoning us.
In His death, Jesus was abandoned so we would never have to be alone again. Almost all of Jesus’ closest friends scattered from Him. He was mocked and cursed by the people He created. And His Father, the closest, most intimate relationship He has, turned away from Jesus while He bore our sin.
Colin Smith explains this powerfully: “When Christ becomes our sin-bearer, He’s plunged into all the torments of hell. The Father, who loves Him, turns His face away and all the comforts of the Father’s love are beyond the Savior’s reach. In the depths of His agony, Jesus cries out, ‘My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?’”
Jesus bore our sin, and in doing so, was separated from His Father. This is the punishment for sin: physical death as well as spiritual death – separation from our Creator.
But Jesus’ sacrifice was perfect and complete. He took the punishment for our sin and rose again from death. He is alive, and we can be made alive in Him! We don’t have to be slaves to our sin and lust anymore. Jesus has forgiven us, freed us, and given us victory! The God who said, “‘It is not good for man to be alone’” has promised to never leave or forsake us. He will never abandon us.
A Prayer
Praise the Lord that we no longer have to be alone, dead in our sin. We can now live life with Him, in freedom, delighting in His presence.
Thank You, Lord Jesus, for willingly laying down Your life for us. Thank You for never abandoning us, for being ever faithful even when we are faithless. And thank You for enduring the ultimate anguish, separation from our Father, so we will never have to be separated from Him. You are so good! We love You. Thank You for loving us perfectly.
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Allie Joy Hudson is first and foremost a daughter of the King. She has worked with Proven for two and a half years and serves as the Content Manager. Allie graduated from Liberty University with a B.A. in English and minors in Spanish and Psychology. She completed her Senior Honors Thesis on the presentation of postmodern sexuality in short fiction. She enjoys reading, writing, playing the viola, running, singing, and photography. Allie is passionate about her ever-growing C.S. Lewis collection, cultivating relationships, and proclaiming truth in the twisted arena of postmodern sexuality. Allie lives in Pennsylvania and is overjoyed to be married to the love of her life.