An old saying goes, “Never say never.” Most of us are old enough to know that nothing is impossible, but some things are nearly impossible. For instance, there are some things you’ll NEVER hear a southerner say:
“I’ll have grapefruit and grapes instead of biscuits and gravy.”
“Honey, I think we should sell the pick-up and buy a family sedan.”
“We’re vegetarians.”*
A spicy subset of ‘southerner’ is Texan. Here’s a couple from our Lone Star buddies you’ll NEVER hear:
“Snow? I’ve got my tire chains ready to go.”
“I’m moving to California.”
“I don’t think there’s a Dairy Queen in this town.”
Exceptions
Now, I’ve traveled enough to know there are exceptions to these generalities. Never say “never,” except ...
Except where God is involved. Someone once said, "God has never failed me yet." There's an important expression of this truth in Hebrews 13.
The Amplified Classic version of the Bible includes possible translations and explanations within the text itself. The goal is to help readers better understand the original biblical authors’ intentions by revealing nuances and shades of meaning lost in more direct translations.
Listen to how the Amplified Classic renders Hebrews 13:5, 6:
“Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]
“So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, ‘The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]. What can man do to me?’”
A note from Kenneth Wuest’s Word Studies reveals that three negatives precede the series of verbs “leave,” “forsake,” and “let you down.”
So, in the original Greek language of the verse, the Lord is not just saying He won’t leave us or forsake us, but He bears down and says, “I will not, I will not, I will not!” I think He’s trying to get our attention.
In Hebrew, the language of the Old Testament, repeating something emphasizes its importance. When the heavenly beings cry, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty...” they stress He is absolutely holy. In the New Testament, Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved Him. Later, Peter had an important vision three times (Acts 10:13-16).
I think this “I will not, I will not, I will not,” falls into the same category. God wants you to know with no doubt, He won’t let you down.
The Homeless Man’s Hymn
Gavin Bryars, English jazz musician and composer, stumbled on an anonymous recording of a homeless man singing this song:
“Jesus’ blood never failed me yet/never failed me yet/Jesus’ blood never failed me yet/There’s one thing I know/For he loves me so, Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet”. If you would like to listen to the old man singing the song, go to You Tube and look up "Gavin Bryars, Jesus' love has never failed me yet."
Bryars said, “When I played it at home, I found that his singing was in tune with my piano, and I improvised a simple accompaniment .... I took the tape loop to Leicester, where I was working in the Fine Art Department, and copied the loop onto a continuous reel of tape, thinking about perhaps adding an orchestrated accompaniment to this.
“The door of the recording room opened on to one of the large painting studios and I left the tape copying, with the door open, while I went to have a cup of coffee. When I came back, I found the normally lively room unnaturally subdued. People were moving about much more slowly than usual and a few were sitting alone, quietly weeping.
“I was puzzled until I realised that the tape was still playing and that they had been overcome by the old man’s singing.”
One Change
This song moves me, but I would make one change—I’d take away the word, “yet.” It’s not needed. He’s never failed me and He never will. There’s no“yet” to it. To fail me, or you, would violate the essence of Who He is.
If you’re paddling through stormy waters, He IS with you. He will NEVER, NEVER, NEVER leave you or forsake you. He won’t fail you.
There is something beyond circumstances at work here. The HOMELESS fellow sang that Jesus never failed him. Tough situation? And how! But somehow the Lord Jesus was right there with him, and he testifies through this little song how real the presence of the Lord is in tough times as well as good times.
You may not feel God’s presence in your battle, but He is there. Your hurt might threaten to rip your heart out, but hang on, He won’t forsake you. Maybe you don’t see any way out, but you’re not alone.
Sometimes you speak to the mountain and it flies into the sea and sometimes you have to climb it. Either way, you get over. You may pray and God removes that thorn which tortures you, or He may leave it and give you His grace and glory instead. That works, too.
He’s NEVER, NEVER, NEVER failed me, and He won’t fail you either. Trust Him. He loves you so.
* Mary Adcock (Pininterest)
“I’ll have grapefruit and grapes instead of biscuits and gravy.”
“Honey, I think we should sell the pick-up and buy a family sedan.”
“We’re vegetarians.”*
A spicy subset of ‘southerner’ is Texan. Here’s a couple from our Lone Star buddies you’ll NEVER hear:
“Snow? I’ve got my tire chains ready to go.”
“I’m moving to California.”
“I don’t think there’s a Dairy Queen in this town.”
Exceptions
Now, I’ve traveled enough to know there are exceptions to these generalities. Never say “never,” except ...
Except where God is involved. Someone once said, "God has never failed me yet." There's an important expression of this truth in Hebrews 13.
The Amplified Classic version of the Bible includes possible translations and explanations within the text itself. The goal is to help readers better understand the original biblical authors’ intentions by revealing nuances and shades of meaning lost in more direct translations.
Listen to how the Amplified Classic renders Hebrews 13:5, 6:
“Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]
“So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, ‘The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]. What can man do to me?’”
A note from Kenneth Wuest’s Word Studies reveals that three negatives precede the series of verbs “leave,” “forsake,” and “let you down.”
So, in the original Greek language of the verse, the Lord is not just saying He won’t leave us or forsake us, but He bears down and says, “I will not, I will not, I will not!” I think He’s trying to get our attention.
In Hebrew, the language of the Old Testament, repeating something emphasizes its importance. When the heavenly beings cry, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty...” they stress He is absolutely holy. In the New Testament, Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved Him. Later, Peter had an important vision three times (Acts 10:13-16).
I think this “I will not, I will not, I will not,” falls into the same category. God wants you to know with no doubt, He won’t let you down.
The Homeless Man’s Hymn
Gavin Bryars, English jazz musician and composer, stumbled on an anonymous recording of a homeless man singing this song:
“Jesus’ blood never failed me yet/never failed me yet/Jesus’ blood never failed me yet/There’s one thing I know/For he loves me so, Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet”. If you would like to listen to the old man singing the song, go to You Tube and look up "Gavin Bryars, Jesus' love has never failed me yet."
Bryars said, “When I played it at home, I found that his singing was in tune with my piano, and I improvised a simple accompaniment .... I took the tape loop to Leicester, where I was working in the Fine Art Department, and copied the loop onto a continuous reel of tape, thinking about perhaps adding an orchestrated accompaniment to this.
“The door of the recording room opened on to one of the large painting studios and I left the tape copying, with the door open, while I went to have a cup of coffee. When I came back, I found the normally lively room unnaturally subdued. People were moving about much more slowly than usual and a few were sitting alone, quietly weeping.
“I was puzzled until I realised that the tape was still playing and that they had been overcome by the old man’s singing.”
One Change
This song moves me, but I would make one change—I’d take away the word, “yet.” It’s not needed. He’s never failed me and He never will. There’s no“yet” to it. To fail me, or you, would violate the essence of Who He is.
If you’re paddling through stormy waters, He IS with you. He will NEVER, NEVER, NEVER leave you or forsake you. He won’t fail you.
There is something beyond circumstances at work here. The HOMELESS fellow sang that Jesus never failed him. Tough situation? And how! But somehow the Lord Jesus was right there with him, and he testifies through this little song how real the presence of the Lord is in tough times as well as good times.
You may not feel God’s presence in your battle, but He is there. Your hurt might threaten to rip your heart out, but hang on, He won’t forsake you. Maybe you don’t see any way out, but you’re not alone.
Sometimes you speak to the mountain and it flies into the sea and sometimes you have to climb it. Either way, you get over. You may pray and God removes that thorn which tortures you, or He may leave it and give you His grace and glory instead. That works, too.
He’s NEVER, NEVER, NEVER failed me, and He won’t fail you either. Trust Him. He loves you so.
* Mary Adcock (Pininterest)
