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"Hide not Thy face far from me: put not Thy servant away in anger: Thou hast been
my help: leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation" (Psa. 27: 9).
As the God of our salvation we can confidently call upon Him to "leave us not", and
when we contemplate all that salvation has cost Him, we may gladly rest upon the fact
that He will not leave those to perish who have been bought with such a price.
(2) "I will not leave thee" is also implicit in the fact that we so belong to the God of
our Salvation, that we are called by His name:--
"O Lord, though our iniquities testify against us, do Thou it for Thy NAME'S sake:
for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against Thee. O the Hope of Israel, the
Saviour thereof in time of trouble, why shouldest Thou be as a stranger in the land, and as
a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night? Why shouldest Thou be as a man
astonished, as a mighty man that cannot save? Yet Thou, O Lord, art in the midst of us,
and we are called by Thy NAME: leave us not" (Jer. 14: 7-9).
The context of this passage is one of terrible retribution. Not until Daniel, in his
prayer of the ninth chapter, pleads for the city "which is called by Thy name . . . . . and
Thy people (that) are called by Thy name" (Dan. 9: 18, 19) does an answer of peace
come. Nevertheless, in spite of the long wait of 70 years, the prayer was heard. We are
called by His name; He has called us by our name, and we can confidently put up the
plea: "We are called by Thy name: leave us not."
(3) "I will not leave thee" is implied in the promises of God:--
"And behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and
will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which
I have spoken to thee of" (Gen. 28: 15).
Here is a ground of strong confidence. "I am with thee"; "I will keep thee"; "I will
bring thee" are all implied in the words: "For I will not leave thee until . . . . ."
(4) "I will not leave thee" is our strength in the conflict and our pledge of victory:--
"Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord
thy God, He it is that doth go with thee; He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee"
(Deut. 31: 6).
As a contribution, therefore, to that fullness of joy which may be enjoyed by reason of
the presence of the Lord, we commend to the reader the words of the Lord: "I will not
leave thee."