The Almighty was no fallible human bridegroom when he entered this “marriage covenant,” promising you undying love and commitment. He was not wavering in love nor oblivious to all the troubles ahead nor too weak to follow through on an eternal commitment.

Hebrews 13:5 . . . God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

The original Greek is almost impossible to translate because it is so emphatic that it contains a triple negative in its insistence that God will never leave us.

1 Samuel 12:22 For the sake of his great name the LORD will not reject his people, because the LORD was pleased to make you his own.

John 6:37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.  . . . (39) And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.

John 10:28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. (29) My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.

While one of the partners in the covenant remains imperfect, the relationship cannot be perfect, but because one of the partners is divine, the relationship soars far beyond any human marriage. The imperfect partner can break vows, but no matter what the imperfect one does, the Perfect One will never defile himself by breaking his vows. The imperfect partner can walk away from the union; the Perfect One cannot. The Perfect One will not degenerate into a tyrant and enslave his partner, preventing the imperfect one from leaving, but the Perfect One will remain rock-solid in his commitment. The Faithful One will forever remain like the father in Jesus’ parable; eager to welcome the prodigal home. He always runs to embrace the returning one who has squandered his money and broken his heart by leaving. Beside himself with happiness at seeing his loved one return, he lavishes the unfaithful one with gifts, joyfully restoring that person to the full status he or she had before.

Don’t continue to break God’s heart by holding back a moment longer. Fill him with joy by letting him forgive you and shower you with blessings.

Jude 1:24 To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy – (25) to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

There’s so Much More!
Like a dentist emphasizing the importance of daily flossing and brushing, I must stress the importance of daily reading of these webpages for people plagued by spiritual worries. Your reading should include Scrupulosity: Help When Worried about Salvation, Blasphemous Thoughts or Continual Guilt Feelings and all the pages it leads to. For theological and biblical help with these matters see all the pages listed at Condemned? How to Cope When Riddled with Guilt. And for reassurance of God’s love for you, see How Much does God Love Me?

Not to be sold. © Copyright, 2004, Grantley Morris. Not to be copied in whole or in part without citing this entire paragraph. Many more compassionate, inspiring, sometimes hilarious writings by Grantley Morris available free at the following internet site www.net-burst.com Freely you have received, freely give.