#22: He Never Leaves Me

📖 “Never will I leave you. Never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5

We fear being left alone in crisis, forgotten in suffering, unsupported in responsibility, or unseen in vulnerability. Yet into this fear, Jesus speaks a promise that is both simple and staggering. He never leaves us. Not for a moment. Not in weakness. Not in pressure. Not in sorrow. Not even in our failures.

This is why I love Jesus.
❤️ He never leaves me.

1️⃣ I love Jesus because His presence is my constant foundation.

There have been seasons in my journey when everything around me shifted. Roles changed, responsibilities evolved, friendships moved, and transitions arrived unexpectedly. Yet in every chapter, the presence of Jesus remained the one unbroken thread.

He promised,
“I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)

Dane Ortlund, in Gentle and Lowly, reminds us that Christ’s presence is not activated by our clarity or confidence. Jesus does not stay close when we feel strong and step back when we feel unsure. His presence rests on His heart, not our steadiness.

I love Jesus because His presence is not seasonal. It is constant.

2️⃣ I love Jesus because He stays when others cannot.

Human relationships are precious gifts, but every human companion has limitations. People may walk with us for part of the journey but cannot walk with us through every place. Some move away. Some change roles. Some grow in different directions. Some simply cannot carry the weight of our seasons.

But Jesus stays.

David understood this when he wrote,
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, You are with me.” (Psalm 23:4)

Some valleys must be walked alone in a human sense, yet Christ ensures that no believer is ever truly alone. He stays in the shadows. He stays in the storms. He stays in the questions. He stays in the silence. He stays in the night seasons.

C. S. Lewis helps us name this quiet loneliness honestly. He writes that the absence of human companionship often exposes a deeper truth, that there are valleys no one else can enter with us. Yet this does not mean we are abandoned. It means we are being taught to recognise a Presence that does not depend on proximity or explanation.

I love Jesus because His companionship is unfailing.

3️⃣ I love Jesus because He strengthens me through His presence.

The presence of Jesus is not passive. It empowers, renews, and sustains.

Isaiah 41:10 says,
“Do not fear, for I am with you. I will strengthen you and help you.”

His nearness brings courage where fear once lived, peace where anxiety once ruled, and clarity where confusion once clouded the heart.

Ortlund notes that Christ’s presence does not merely accompany us, it sustains us. Strength flows not from the absence of difficulty but from the nearness of Jesus within it. Lewis adds that courage is often born not from answers but from companionship. We endure because we are not alone.

I love Jesus because His presence strengthens me for every assignment.

4️⃣ I love Jesus because He remains even when I struggle.

Jesus does not leave when I am weak. He draws nearer.
He does not withdraw when I struggle to pray. He intercedes.
He does not abandon when I falter. He restores.
He does not step back when I am discouraged. He comforts.

One of the most beautiful truths in Scripture is found in John 14:18, where Jesus says,
“I will not leave you as orphans.”

He is not a distant overseer. He is a present Shepherd.
His presence stays even when I cannot feel it clearly. His presence steadies me even when my spirit feels unsettled.

Ortlund describes this as the surprise of grace, that Jesus does not move away from our weakness but toward it. When strength fades and prayer feels thin, Christ’s presence does not recede. It intensifies.

I love Jesus because His commitment to me is stronger than my weakness.

5️⃣ I love Jesus because His presence is my future hope.

He never leaves me in this life, and He will never leave me in the next.
Jesus promised that He goes to prepare a place for me, and that He will take me to be with Him forever. His presence surrounds me today, walks with me tomorrow, and welcomes me into eternity.

This transforms the way I view aging, transitions, and the unknowns of the coming years. My security is not in stability, predictability, or strength, but in the presence of Christ.

Lewis would say that this is how grace works across time, the same Presence who first awakens us quietly accompanies us to the very end. What began as encounter becomes companionship, and companionship becomes home.

I love Jesus because His presence guarantees my future.

🎵 My Worship Response

Today’s devotion resonates deeply with these worship expressions:

• “Never Alone”
A quiet reminder that Christ’s presence does not withdraw in valleys but deepens.

• “Goodness of God”
This tender version highlights the faithfulness of God over the years. The line “All my life You have been faithful” captures perfectly the truth that His presence has carried me again and again.

• “Hold On to Me”
A song that echoes the cry of a heart leaning on Christ’s sustaining presence, especially in moments of weakness or uncertainty. Even when my grip weakens, He never lets go.

🙏 Lord Jesus, thank You that You never leave me. Thank You for Your constant presence in every season, every transition, every valley, and every victory. Let the assurance of Your nearness steady my heart, strengthen my steps, and fill me with courage each day.

✨ Reason # 22 Why I Love Jesus

He never leaves me, never abandons me, never withdraws His presence, and walks with me through every moment of my life.

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