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An old woman’s words before God as told by Pastor John Bagorio
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I Can’t Believe He Brought Me This Far To Leave Me
Psalms 37:25
Some time ago I heard a CD of various black singers, including gospel choirs.
I always enjoy listening to African American choirs. They sing with such enthusiasm and they put a lot of spirit into what they sing. There was one song on the CD that was sung by Rev. James Cleveland. Before he started his song, he said he was in church sometime ago and a little lady about 82 years old got up to testify. She said, “I’ve been running for Jesus for some fifty some-odd years.” She continued to say, “I don’t feel no ways tired. I’ve come too far from where I started from. Nobody told me that the road would be easy. BUT I DON’T BELIEVE HE BROUGHT ME THIS FAR TO LEAVE ME.”
I think we could all learn a lesson from what that little woman said. Being an older African-American I am sure she had seen a lot of hard times along the way, but she knew that whatever happened in her life, God would not leave her.
There is a scripture in Psalm chapter 37 verse 25 that says, “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.”
I am sharing this moment this morning because in the light of 2020, I know some of you may be feeling like God has forsaken you and if you don’t feel that way right now, you probably will somewhere down the road of life.
But always remember what Hebrews 13:5 says, “...for He has said, I will never leave you, nor forsake you.”
Some of you may have been running for Jesus a long time. You have come a long way from where you started from. The road hasn’t been easy. You have been through some difficult situations. You’ve been through some pretty turbulent storms along life’s road.
But you can identify with this 82-year-old woman who said, “I’ve come too far from where I started from.” Nobody told you that the road would be easy. But look where you started from and look where you are today! And no matter what you are going through today, I can’t believe He brought you this far, just to leave you!
In the book of Exodus we find the children of Israel being led out of Egypt’s bondage to the Promised Land. Pharaoh had placed such grievous bondage upon them that they cried out to God for deliverance. God sent Moses to be their deliverer. The day came for their departure from Egypt. What a glorious day! To leave behind all their slavery and servitude!
But they came to the Red Sea! There was no way across. Pharaoh had changed his mind about allowing them to go free, and he was after them. Like sitting ducks with no defense, it looked like their doom was sealed. If Pharaoh caught up with them, they knew he would certainly make life miserable for them. But I can just visualize old Moses, standing up to comfort the people.
He had just heard from God! I know the Bible doesn’t record this, but he may have said, “Now, children! Just calm down! Don’t get all frightened and horrified on me now. I don’t believe He brought us this far, just to leave us.”
He may have said, “We’ve already come too far from where we started from.”
May I remind you that you are going to face those Red Sea experiences, where you have no place to go, and the old devil is on your trail hot and heavy.
Mountains of difficulty may be on both sides of you. The sea of obstruction may be in front of you. The enemy of destruction may be behind you.
But I don’t believe that He brought you this far, just to leave you!
I Cor. 10:13 tells us, “…God is faithful, who will allow you to be tempted above that which you are able; but will with every temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it.”
This word “temptation” here was taken from a Greek word, which means, “deep or open sea” or “depth” as in the depth of the sea. It is a word which emphasizes an overwhelming situation
In other words when we find ourselves in a situation that is deeper than we can handle, God will make a way of escape!
He didn’t leave those Israelites to be targets of the Egyptian army, and God won’t leave you either!
Each time we face those Red Sea experiences where we don’t have a clue what we are going to do, or which way we are going to go, Satan whispers in your ear and says,
“You’ve had it now! You’re all washed up! You’re done for! You’re through!”
But 2 Tim. 1:12 says, “For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.”
You see I have committed my life to Him. I have committed my heart to Him. I have committed my safekeeping to Him. I have committed my future to Him.
I have put my entire trust and confidence in Him, and I don’t believe He brought me this far to leave me!
When I face those impossible situations in my life, He will help me through them. He will not leave me! He will not forsake me.
He will make a way through the sea of obstructions. He will help me around the mountains of difficulty. He will not allow the enemy of destruction to destroy me!
For greater is He that is within me than he that is within the world.
I was thinking about those three Hebrew boys that we have all heard about since childhood.
They stood for God when it wasn’t popular to do so.
They stood for God in a land of idolatry and paganism.
They refused to bow to the King’s orders that everyone should worship the god of the state.
When some tattletale went to the King and informed him that there were three disloyal traitors who would not obey his orders, they stood firm in their convictions.
When they were told that they would be thrown in a furnace of fire if they would not bow down to the King’s image, they wouldn’t budge!
To everyone else it looked like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were on a suicide mission.
But they knew what kind of God they served.
For they said, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer you in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king.
But if not, be it known unto you, O king, that we will not serve your gods, nor worship the golden image which you have set up.”
I can just imagine old Meshach looking over at Shadrach, just before they were thrown into the fiery furnace and saying, “Shadrach, I just don’t believe He has brought us this far, to leave us.”
But we’ve come too far to turn back now!
We all know the story of how God delivered those boys from the furnace of fire without even a smell of smoke upon their clothes.
Some of you may be facing a fiery furnace right now.
To face the fire means you are going through some sort of terrible affliction.
It could mean you are going through a severe trial in your life.
Or, possibly you are facing a raging fire of some evil passion in your life.
Listen to me my friend, the devil will tempt you to bow down to the gods of this world, rather than hold on to the God of this universe.
He’ll make you believe it would be a lot easier if you would just quit trying to serve God, and go back to the things of this world.
He’ll try to make you believe that God has left you, that He has forsaken you.
He’ll tell you that’s the reason you are going through the fire, because God doesn’t care about you.
But my friend, you must be like those Hebrew boys. You can say, “Devil, I am not careful to answer you in this matter. My God is able to deliver me from this trial, from this affliction, from this fire, but even if He does not, I refuse to serve you, nor will I go back unto the things of this world.”
God has brought you this far my friend, and He’ll not leave you now!
He will not leave you in the fire! Even if you go through the fire, you will not be burned, for He will be right there with you!
Listen! Isaiah 43:2 “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon you.”
My friend, hold on in the midst of the fire! He will be there, right in the fire with you.
Who did old King Neb see when he looked into the furnace? Not only did he see Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego walking around in the fire, but he said “I see four men walking in the midst of the fire, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God!”
My friend, when you are in the fire, look around, for God will be there!
Don’t panic! Don’t be dismayed! Don’t give up! Don’t quit! Just keep on holding on!
Cause I don’t believe He has brought you this far to leave you!
I don’t think I have to worry about God leaving me in the time of my distress.
First Samuel 12:22 says, “For the Lord will not forsake His people…”
Joshua 1:5 says, “I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”
Paul realized that God would not leave nor forsake him when he said,
“We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted but not forsaken, cast down, but not destroyed.”
2 Cor. 4:8-9
Look how far God has brought you my friend!
Look what He has brought you through in the past!
Has he ever forsaken you? Has He ever failed you? Has He ever left you all alone?
Jesus said, “I will not leave you comfortless. For I will pray to the Father and He shall send you another comforter which shall abide with you forever.”
I can’t believe He’s brought me this far, to leave me!
He loves me too much to leave me!
Nothing shall be able to separate me from the love of God.
Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.
For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
What an assurance! What confidence! What a certainty! What reliance!
What a security!
That means I can go on with life knowing that God is with me, no matter what may come my way.
That means that even though I walk through the very shadow of death, He is with me. His rod and His staff will comfort me!
No, He hasn’t left you today! It may feel like He has, but be rest assured He is right there beside you, walking every step of the way.
There may be times when you see just one set of footprints in the sands of life, but be rest assured those are the times when He has picked you up and is carrying you through those hard times.