He Will Never Leave Us

Hebrews 13:5 (New International Version)

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,

   “Never will I leave you;

   never will I forsake you.”

Maktu, a Moro Christian, testified about the truth of Hebrews 13:5: "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." He was caught by government forces in 1996 and thrown into prison. It is not clear if it was because of his Christian beliefs or simply because he was a civilian caught up in the ongoing civil war. Either way, the ordeal was a severe test of his faith.

As he lay in his cell, tied up so tightly that he could not lie down or sit properly, the pain and discomfort was intense. Then thoughts of doubt started to creep into his mind. Where was God in this time of need? Why should he continue in his faith when it only brought him problems?

He was on the verge of denying his faith when he suddenly heard a voice speaking clearly to him. The voice asked him why he had those thoughts and continued by saying that many people in the past had suffered for God's sake. He should not be surprised that this was happening to him as well. Then he saw a vision: Known and unknown Christians comforted him and praised God. There was such a joyous worshipping atmosphere that he forgot for a moment that he was still tied up in a prison cell! In fact, he desired to die so that he could join their ranks permanently.

God in His great mercy took this man through the crisis and put new strength in his faith. After he was eventually released from prison, he continued to follow God with fresh dedication and also blessed many others with his testimony.

Dear Lord we thank You that you will never leave us, even when things look the worse. In Jesus’ name, Amen.