God Does Leave Us to Destruction

I am in the midst of a study of the word “abandon/abandoned” and have found that God will not abandon us. Yes, He will allow us to be in distress and disaster will befall us, but He will not abandon us.

This morning I am continuing that study and have been brought to the Psalms, where David is declaring that God will not abandon him. He speaks of all the places where he will continue showing allegiance to God. Whether in God Himself, or the people of God, or His provision, or His counsel, David finds joy in the LORD.

David also recognizes that the LORD is a just God and will all distress and disaster to come upon him. He knows that it is up to him to follow the LORD and when not, the LORD will allow the path to become a bit more challenging. We choose that path thanks to the free will He has given to us, and God will allow us to explore that path. But, David also knows that the LORD will not be far away and will work to protect and guide him back.

“⁷I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;

in the night also my heart instructs me.

⁸I have set the Lord always before me;

because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

⁹Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;

my flesh also dwells secure.”

— Psalm 16:7-9 (ESV)

Yes, there may be some thought to the idea that we can do whatever we want since we have the LORD as our savior. Where there is a deeper discussion there, I will not get into, David shows here that he knows that no matter how bad things get, he is secure in the love and care of the LORD. He know that God is always with him.

“¹⁰For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,

or let your holy one see corruption.”

— Psalm 16:10 (ESV)

When things get bad, we can be secure in that God will not allow us to stay in that distress. He will not leave us to our destruction. God will provide the way for us to climb out of despair and into His arms of comfort and protection. He will send us help and as we are under His care, we will recognize that help at some point and find our way back. God will not leave us to our destruction, He will be with us as we experience what it is like to be away from Him.

How are you secure? Are you relying on yourself for security from destruction? What if you were to rely on the LORD, knowing that where you may be feeling the disaster in your life, He is with you and will not leave you to it as your security is in Him?

Unite Completely with Your Wife

Men, we are to unite completely with our wives. She was created out of us by God for us. It is up to us to reunite with her fully in flesh and spirit.

“²⁴Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” – Genesis 2:24 (ESV)

If you remember, woman was created from our rib. She is part of us physically. When it is said that “they shall become one flesh”, it is that we are to reunite as one flesh since that is where we started.

Also, take a look at the first part of the above verse. Men, we are to leave and be with our wives, not the other way around. We are to devote to her. We are to join her where she is.

I look at our boys and where they are in life. We raised them to be independent and leave our home to be on their own. And each of them have done that. Where we love them and want them to be with us, we also know that they are to be on their own. They are to experience all that is in this world with the LORD as their guide, not us.

This leaving to experience life does not end with them. Once they find the woman that is to be their wife, she is now the one he unites with to become one. He spends as much time with her that he can. He develops a deep love for her and her family. He leaves us and devotes to her.

Likewise, we did the same things in our lives. We give up ourselves for her. I am a creature of habit and comfortable where I am, but to give to and care for my wife, I had to step out of where I was/am. I stepped into a bigger role in work and moved our family 1500 miles away from my family. And then we moved again, back to within a couple hundred miles from mine and her family. And I did not think of me during that time, but her and how it impacted our household. We became one and she was the full object of my love.

Now that our boys are gone, we are back to just the two of us and since I committed to join her, we are in a great space filled with love. We are one. Our friends know that we are a package deal. When one is invited, both of us are invited. When one goes, the other is not far behind. We have united completely to one another, and most importantly, I to her.

What does the unity of your relationship with your wife look like? Are you with her cause that is the deal? What if you were to unite completely and become one with her in all aspects of your relationship?

Prepare for Departure

Being a leader is noble and rewarding. It does however carry with it some challenges. One of which is preparing for your departure from the role. It is common for leaders to work right from their installation through their exit from the organization. There are a lot of factors that drive that commonality, but the real thing is that the leaders never prepare for when they are gone from the organization.

It is important, dare I say paramount for the leader to build strength in the organization that is ready to take over and continue the work of that organization when the time comes. There should always be someone on deck to lead with confidence and skill to do so.

The same is said for the spiritual leader. The role of the spiritual leader is to guide people to God’s agenda. Give them the tools that will prompt them to seek the LORD in all things, whether inside or outside the organization. Those that are being prepared should know of and have those influences that come from God, His authentication, have encounters with Him, character/integrity, and preparation. They should be seeking the spiritual maturity that demonstrates continued growth and learning and reliance on God for all. And they should work to bring glory to God always.

I know that I have failed in these areas in the past and may only be in the middle of preparing my family’s successor, but I am working on it daily by doing just what I am doing here. I am in God’s Word, learning and growing in to the man He has for me to be. I am demonstrating to my boys what it means to be the leader of the household and can only do more of the same. At some point I will no longer be here, but my family that comes after me will be prepared to continue. I am preparing for my departure.

What is your view of what comes after you leave? Are you not concerned as you will be gone? What if you were to take the approach that it is your role to ensure that the organization continues to seek the will of the LORD even after you are gone?