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Verse:“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” —Deuteronomy 31:8, NIV
If anyone had asked for my favorite Bible verse before 2020, it would have been Psalm 46:1, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” (NIV), for I loved the assurance that God was my refuge and strength and that He was very present with me in trouble. However, after a period of illness and doctors’ inability to diagnose my problems, I turned to the Scriptures to search for some hope. That is where I found today’s scripture reading and fell in love with its beautiful promise. In October 2020, during my annual screening and mammogram, the doctors noticed something that caused them some concern.
They ordered a biopsy for me, and although I’d had procedures done before, I felt extremely scared about this biopsy. My family and close friends could see how anxious I felt and did their best to reassure me of God’s goodness, but the thing that helped most was this promise: “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” (Deuteronomy 31:8, NIV).
I held on to that text and immediately felt a sense of calm. I repeated the promise throughout the procedure, and an inexplicable peace replaced the anxiety I had struggled with. I knew I was not alone. My fear disappeared. At the beginning of this year, while preparing to have another annual mammogram done, the anxiety returned, and I felt uneasy once more. On the morning of my screening, as I opened my morning devotional app, there it was again! Would you believe it? His special message for me that day was the promise in Deuteronomy 31:8. What a sweet reminder. I felt like His spoiled child. I am JSC—Jesus’ spoiled child.
I thank God daily for His love for me. Friends, whenever you feel alone, scared, or worried, always remember God goes before you. He is with you, and He will never leave you nor forsake you. No matter what you may be facing, remember that each one of us is Jesus’ special child. We do not need to fear. Allow His peace and strength to replace the fear and anxiety. We are His, and we are loved.
Jill Springer-Cato