1 Samuel 12:20–22
20 And Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. 21 And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. 22 For the LORD will not forsake his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you a people for himself.
(ESV)
He Will Not Abandon You
God is with us. God is with you. This week we are reflecting on the wonderful Christmas truth that God dwells with his people. He is near and an ever-present help. It might be easy to believe that God is with you today, but how confident are you that God will be with you in the future? It might be easy to believe God is with you when life is going smoothly and you are living wisely but is God with us when troubles arise? Or how about when you mess up and fall prey to temptation? Will God still be with you then?
1 Samuel 12:20–22 holds within it a gem of a truth. These verses are found in the middle of a speech given by the prophet Samuel. The people had recently rejected the Lord and asked for a king to be placed over them so they could be like the other nations. Despite their disobedience, God does not turn away from his people. Instead through Samuel, he reiterates his commitment to never abandon them.
Today, I want your attention to dwell on verse 22. In this verse comes a truth that ensures for us the future presence of God with us. It reads, “For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself.” The promise made in this passage is that God will never forsake his people. He will never abandon, jettison, or destroy his people.
We are given a two-fold rationale for this promise. First, we are told he will not forsake us for his name's sake. He is concerned with making known his glory and keeping his word. For his name’s sake, he will not abandon you. Secondly, we are told he will not forsake his people because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself. He delights in calling you his, thus he will not forsake you.
Verse 22 is not only beautiful for what it says but also for what it does not say. The verse does not say that his presence with us is dependent upon us keeping his law perfectly or based on our usefulness to him. No, the promise does not depend on us but on the grace and glory of God.
This Christmas consider how the birth of Jesus is a fulfillment of his promise never to forsake his people. And consider how the arrival of Jesus also ensures for us that God will be with us in the future, no matter what trials we face or troubles we cause. Reflect this Christmas on how God was with you this year, and let this reassure you that he will be with you in this upcoming year.
Sully Curtin