Hebrews 13:5-6 ESV Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (6) So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

The wicked leave and forsake. They abandon. Oh, they stick around physically way too long, but only to destroy. They forsake – which means to abandon and desert. They do it everyday, beginning with their marriage vows. Those of you who have been victims of a domestic abuser know this all too well. Abusers forsake their victim economically, emotionally, physically, relationally – really in every way.

Joshua 1:5 ESV No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you.

Isaiah 43:2 ESV When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.

And of course as quoted above,

Hebrews 13:5b ESV …for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Now, what I find interesting in this Hebrews passage is that immediately following this promise to never forsake us is this:

Hebrews 13:7-8 ESV Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. (8) Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

My point is that the Lord is a Shepherd, our Shepherd, who will never, ever, ever forsake His people. Has never happened. Doesn’t happen. Will never happen. I will never leave you nor forsake you. This never changes because Jesus never changes – yesterday, today, forever – the same. And therefore all of His genuine undershepherds must and will keep this same promise to the end. Such leaders model Christ to us. They necessarily then model this quality of faithfulness. Of refusing to abandon, desert, or forsake.

Now, I can tell you that herein we have a very revealing test to utilize in doing this:

1 John 4:1 ESV Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

What happened to most of you when you went to your pastor or other church leader(s) and revealed the abuse you were suffering? When you asked for help? What happened? I can tell you. You were forsaken, abandoned, and deserted. Your shepherd threw you out to the wolf. What does this prove to us? I can tell you. It proves that such a leader is not the leader that we are to “remember” and whose faith we are to imitate. Look at it again:

Hebrews 13:7-8 ESV Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. (8) Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

It does not matter how many theological degrees a pastor has, or how moving and magnificient his preaching ability might be, or even how apparently “nice” he is – if he abandons and forsakes a lamb who is being ravaged by a wolf, he is no shepherd of Christ. Furthermore, he has in fact NOT been speaking the word of God. His faith is a false one that is not to be imitated. He is a representative of a counterfeit Jesus.

Not even ignorance in this matter is an excuse. This is why I always say, if you want to really understand God’s Word, if you want to be wise as a serpent in respect to the truth about evil, then wise up to the nature, mentality, and tacts of the domestic abuser, of the sociopath, and of the narcissist. Get wise to these things and I guarantee you that you are going to find the lights turning on when you open your Bible.

There are famous men I used to try to imitate in regard to their ministry and teachings. I respected them. I looked to them for guidance. But no more. Why? Because eventually I found out that they abandoned the widow and the orphan. They even put them out of the church and allied themselves with the wicked.

But there is One we can trust who will never, ever, ever forsake us. Whose faith we can confidently imitate and who will never disappoint.

You know His name.

Hebrews 13:5-6 ESV Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (6) So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

The wicked leave and forsake. They abandon. Oh, they stick around physically way too long, but only to destroy. They forsake – which means to abandon and desert. They do it everyday, beginning with their marriage vows. Those of you who have been victims of a domestic abuser know this all too well. Abusers forsake their victim economically, emotionally, physically, relationally – really in every way.

Joshua 1:5 ESV No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you.

Isaiah 43:2 ESV When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.

And of course as quoted above,

Hebrews 13:5b ESV …for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Now, what I find interesting in this Hebrews passage is that immediately following this promise to never forsake us is this:

Hebrews 13:7-8 ESV Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. (8) Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

My point is that the Lord is a Shepherd, our Shepherd, who will never, ever, ever forsake His people. Has never happened. Doesn’t happen. Will never happen. I will never leave you nor forsake you. This never changes because Jesus never changes – yesterday, today, forever – the same. And therefore all of His genuine undershepherds must and will keep this same promise to the end. Such leaders model Christ to us. They necessarily then model this quality of faithfulness. Of refusing to abandon, desert, or forsake.

Now, I can tell you that herein we have a very revealing test to utilize in doing this:

1 John 4:1 ESV Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

What happened to most of you when you went to your pastor or other church leader(s) and revealed the abuse you were suffering? When you asked for help? What happened? I can tell you. You were forsaken, abandoned, and deserted. Your shepherd threw you out to the wolf. What does this prove to us? I can tell you. It proves that such a leader is not the leader that we are to “remember” and whose faith we are to imitate. Look at it again:

Hebrews 13:7-8 ESV Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. (8) Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

It does not matter how many theological degrees a pastor has, or how moving and magnificient his preaching ability might be, or even how apparently “nice” he is – if he abandons and forsakes a lamb who is being ravaged by a wolf, he is no shepherd of Christ. Furthermore, he has in fact NOT been speaking the word of God. His faith is a false one that is not to be imitated. He is a representative of a counterfeit Jesus.

Not even ignorance in this matter is an excuse. This is why I always say, if you want to really understand God’s Word, if you want to be wise as a serpent in respect to the truth about evil, then wise up to the nature, mentality, and tacts of the domestic abuser, of the sociopath, and of the narcissist. Get wise to these things and I guarantee you that you are going to find the lights turning on when you open your Bible.

There are famous men I used to try to imitate in regard to their ministry and teachings. I respected them. I looked to them for guidance. But no more. Why? Because eventually I found out that they abandoned the widow and the orphan. They even put them out of the church and allied themselves with the wicked.

But there is One we can trust who will never, ever, ever forsake us. Whose faith we can confidently imitate and who will never disappoint.

You know His name.