Because of His Great Name

# 161 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 12:22 "For the LORD will not forsake His people, for His great name's sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you His people. What a great promise. The Lord will not forsake His people. It certainly isn't because we are deserving. It is only because of His great name and good pleasure. I am reminded of the time when the Israelites were about to enter the Promised Land, but were fearful of the “giants in the land,” and they wanted to ditch God and return to Egypt. God told Moses that He would strike these people with pestilence and disinherit them. He was ready to forsake them because of their persistent rebellion. (Num 14:12) But Moses interceded for them and said, "Now if You kill these people as one man, then the nations which have heard of Your fame will speak, saying, 16 'Because the LORD was not able to bring this people to the land which He swore to give them, therefore He killed them in the wilderness.' (Nu 14:15,16) God heard the prayer of Moses, and for His great name sake, did not forsake them. We have the same promise from Jesus for the church today. In Mt 28:20, He said to His disciples, “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” God will not forsake His church. Even though some may forsake Him chasing after other gods, pursuing false doctrine, or ignoring His Word, God will always preserve a remnant. Admittedly, sometimes it looks pretty bleak for the church today, but it looked very bleak in the days of Elijah too. Elijah was thoroughly depressed because he felt he was the only believer left in the land. He said in 1 Kings, 19:14, “I alone am left.” But God said in 1 Kings 19:18, “ Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him." Sometimes you can be in a situation where you might feel like Elijah. Take heart, you are not alone and never will be. God has preserved other believers for you to fellowship with. But remember, it's not because of YOUR great name, it's because of His great name. It's because of His grace. Thank Him for it today!