Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.

Deuteronomy 31:6

It is fascinating to observe a little child’s absolute trust in his father in everything. The little kid believes completely that his father is the strongest person in the world. So, with daddy around, no one could harm him. Even though it has not been demonstrated to him, the child completely believes this as absolute truth and boasts in it. Touch the little kid, and you will hear the warning, “Wait until my father comes, and you will see what he will do to you.” In a game park, all the child needs to hear is the father’s urging, and he can ride every roller coaster or swing without fear. He trusts daddy’s ability to fix everything without question. The child can sleep through the night because he finds security in daddy’s presence. That is how absolute the faith of a child is in his father.

So, why can’t we trust our Father in heaven this way?

God is all that our earthly fathers are to us and much more than they can ever be. He is All-Powerful, All-Knowing, Ever-Present, and Unchanging. Because He is immutable, He is faithful to the core when dealing with us. He has given us every promise we need to live peacefully and secured in Christ. Concerning these promises, God’s word assures us that He “is not a man, that He should lie, nor the son of man that He should change His mind” [and then He asks rhetorically], “Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill” (Numbers 23:19)?  Again, Paul adds: “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through Him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God” (2 Cor. 1:20).

What then is your situation or condition today? Can you take Him at His word when He tells you to “Be strong and courageous,” because “[I] will never leave you nor forsake you” (Deut. 31:6)? Can you take courage in Isaiah 43:2 where He says: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze?”

The issue is not that God has reneged on His promises. It is a matter of the simple faith of a child of God in his Heavenly Father (John 1:12-13; Joshua 1:9). It is about yielding to Him in close fellowship and powerfully sensing His presence in your situation, or the lack of it. That is where your child-like faith comes in.