While the times we are living in seem overwhelming, I want to remind you that God has you in the palm of His hand.
No matter what troubles may come your way, one thing you can count on is that God will never leave you or forsake you.
Not ever! This is something you can know, because He’s promised it in His Word.
Hebrews 13:5 in the Amplified Bible puts it this way: “He [God] Himself has said, I won’t in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!].”
Don’t you love that? Read it again—it’s God talking to you.
You Are Safe
Whenever I read Hebrews 13:5, I picture a father teaching his three-year-old daughter how to swim. I see the dad in the water, extending his arms toward the little girl, who’s at the edge of the pool looking down at him, very nervous about jumping in.
The dad says, “Go ahead and jump into the pool, honey. I’ll catch you. I won’t let go.”
And full of faith that her daddy will catch her, the little girl jumps in and is scooped up by strong arms into a safe embrace. “I gotcha, honey, you’re safe,” her father says. He won’t let go of her or relax his hold on her. Assuredly not!
That’s how your heavenly Father is—He won’t let go of you or relax His hold on you. Assuredly not! He’s got you; you’re safe, no matter how deep the water is.
When the foundation of my world was shaking after my first husband died, I read this verse in Hebrews over and over until it settled into my heart. There came a time when I knew that I knew that I knew that it was true for me: God had a firm hold on me; He would never let me go or give up on me.
How did I become so sure? By thinking on this truth. By meditating on it day and night, as the Bible instructs us to do.
“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do all that is written in it. For then you’ll make your way prosperous, and then you’ll have good success.” (Josh. 1:8)
I like the results that this verse promises, don’t you? When you meditate on God’s Word, you’ll make your way prosperous and successful. You do it, because of your choice to read and think on God’s Word.
Read More…
While the times we are living in seem overwhelming, I want to remind you that God has you in the palm of His hand.
No matter what troubles may come your way, one thing you can count on is that God will never leave you or forsake you.
Not ever! This is something you can know, because He’s promised it in His Word.
Hebrews 13:5 in the Amplified Bible puts it this way: “He [God] Himself has said, I won’t in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!].”
Don’t you love that? Read it again—it’s God talking to you.
You Are Safe
Whenever I read Hebrews 13:5, I picture a father teaching his three-year-old daughter how to swim. I see the dad in the water, extending his arms toward the little girl, who’s at the edge of the pool looking down at him, very nervous about jumping in.
The dad says, “Go ahead and jump into the pool, honey. I’ll catch you. I won’t let go.”
And full of faith that her daddy will catch her, the little girl jumps in and is scooped up by strong arms into a safe embrace. “I gotcha, honey, you’re safe,” her father says. He won’t let go of her or relax his hold on her. Assuredly not!
That’s how your heavenly Father is—He won’t let go of you or relax His hold on you. Assuredly not! He’s got you; you’re safe, no matter how deep the water is.
When the foundation of my world was shaking after my first husband died, I read this verse in Hebrews over and over until it settled into my heart. There came a time when I knew that I knew that I knew that it was true for me: God had a firm hold on me; He would never let me go or give up on me.
How did I become so sure? By thinking on this truth. By meditating on it day and night, as the Bible instructs us to do.
“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do all that is written in it. For then you’ll make your way prosperous, and then you’ll have good success.” (Josh. 1:8)
I like the results that this verse promises, don’t you? When you meditate on God’s Word, you’ll make your way prosperous and successful. You do it, because of your choice to read and think on God’s Word.
Take Control
When you choose to think on God’s Word, it puts you in control. That comes as really good news when circumstances feel as if they’re out of your control.
What does it mean to meditate? The Merriam-Webster dictionary definition is “to focus one’s thoughts on: reflect on or ponder over.”
It’s vital that you take control of your thoughts and focus on God’s promises. That’s done by reflecting and pondering on His Word instead of your problems.
You can do that! Start with Hebrews 13:5 (or any scripture of your choice that applies to your situation). Don’t just read it once and think, “Well, that would be nice.” Instead, run it over in your mind again and again. Read it out loud. Picture yourself being held in God’s strong arms. Hear Him saying the verse to you and telling you what it means.
Spend more time thinking about what God has said than you spend thinking about the troubles and questions all around you. This is the secret to tapping into God’s freedom and power and putting the past behind. And you’re the only one who can make that happen.
TAKE ACTION
Purpose to give God’s Word, rather than your problems, more airtime in your brain. Start by memorizing one or two verses and focusing on them, thinking on them, and saying them out loud often.
Karen Jensen Salisbury has been in ministry for almost 30 years, and a writer for almost 40. She and her first husband, Brent, traveled as itinerant ministers, and also pioneered two churches in the Northwest.
In 1997, upon Brent's unexpected death, she became Senior Pastor of their church in Boise, Idaho. She raised their sons, Josh and Ryan, through their teenage years into young men on fire for God.
Karen was an instructor at Rhema Bible Training College in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma from 2005 to 2014. In March of 2014 she married businessman Bob Salisbury, and they live in Minneapolis. Now in addition to writing books, Karen travels across the U.S. and overseas, sharing what she has learned about the faithfulness of God through good times and bad.
Her teachings and writings have influenced the lives of hundreds of thousands of people all over the world. Her humor, her never-give-up attitude, her love for God and her strong stand on His Word will bless and inspire you.