You never…

They never …

Never was. Never will. Never can. Never, never, never.

Sometimes I get caught up in Nevers of life. I think we all have. They feel true, these feelings that we experience in the valleys of life. They can feel and sound so final and so real. In praying about them, the Holy Spirit prompted me to follow them to their source. I saw fear and doubt behind most of these Nevers. I was so surprised by that.

I have learned not to trust the Nevers when they creep in, even when they sound true. God has used them to change my heart. He is not afraid. Why am I? I heard one when my Dad died suddenly at age 48. It said, “You will never see his face again.” The Holy Spirit reminded me, “He was saved. You will have all of eternity to see him.” I heard them when our son Houston was born and the doctors told us these Nevers: “He will never walk, never talk, and will not live past 3.” The Holy Spirit reminded me then and now, “He will sing and run in heaven. He will live forever!” Houston is 27 now and he’s still disabled here, but oh the things he will do in eternity! I felt them when horrific endometriosis left me with a damaged gut. “You will never have normal bowel function without enemas and medication” became my normal until Platoon 20 Revelation Wellness Instructor Retreat when He healed me! Praise God, He healed me!

I imagine the Nevers that the followers of Jesus heard when He was crucified. How dark it felt to them. Their Nevers vanished with a rolled stone, an empty tomb, and the glorious sight of a living Savior! Everything went from “never” to “forever” in a moment. The same Lord who changed their hearts has redeemed my Nevers so many times. He has used every negative to transform my heart, mind, and soul, much like the negative of a picture makes the dark places light.

I still have times when the Nevers snag me up. They show up when I think of my plans of how I thought my life would be, or what I should be doing by now. Some have gotten louder as I grow older, and it feels like time is running out to get things done. Then, God reminds me I have all of eternity to live for Him! The Nevers show up when I allow my expectations of others to get in the way of being able to love them well, and show them the reality of the Lord living in me.

This is when the Lord reminds me of His Nevers!

The Lord’s Nevers are not the dark ones that arise from fear and doubt. His Nevers are solid, steady, and mountaintop joyful. His Nevers are reminders of His love and goodness. He will never leave me, forget me, stop loving me, quit looking for me, or give up on me. Our theme song for Platoon 20 was “Reckless Love” and it describes the Savior’s feelings towards us so perfectly.

“But whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” – John 4:14

“I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.” -Deuteronomy 31:6

“For he will never be shaken; the righteous will be remembered forever.” -Psalm 112:6

It always amazes me how the Lord draws near to me when I am in the Valley of Nevers. I should know by now that He is there even when I don’t expect it. He doesn’t shake His finger at me. He doesn’t shame or blame me. He doesn’t condemn me for my fear and doubt. He is so very tender, loving me through it. He doesn’t rush me along impatiently. He allows me to set the pace and walks beside me. He shows me His grace.

My beloved husband is facing a sixth extensive spine surgery on April the 18th at Vanderbilt Hospital. It is dangerous. The surgeon can’t tell how much he can do to stabilize things in order for this to hopefully be the last procedure on his cervical spine. He hopes to be able to go from C-3 to T-1. Doing nothing is not a viable option as the C-3 is affecting his blood pressure, heart rate and breathing.

I can see a Valley of Nevers ahead.

We will not be passing through it alone.

Jesus will already be there.

In the comments below, share the Nevers you are facing. How do you see the Lord redeeming your Nevers? How has the Lord redeemed your Nevers in the past?

Teresa Martin is a Revelation Wellness Instructor (Platoon 20) teaching in her community in Adamsville, TN. She loves Jesus and wants to give Him her “yes” every day. She is a wife, Mom, and Memaw.

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RON’S TOTAL BODY STRENGTH –“DRAWING NEAR TO GOD” 

 Nobody can train the basics enough. Especially when it comes to weight training. The rewards of putting our bodies under resistance are numerous, but the risks are real. This workout will help reinforce the healthy basics. (ADVANCED) (JAMES 4:8; HAND WEIGHTS)