I'll never, no never, no never forsake!

How Firm a Foundation
Attr. to Robert Keen, ca. 1787

1. How firm a foundation, ye Saints of the Lord, Is laid for your faith in his excellent word! What more can he say than to you he hath said, Who unto the Savior for refuge have fled? 2. In ev’ry condition—in sickness, in health, In poverty’s vale or abounding in wealth, At home or abroad, on the land or the sea— As thy days may demand, so thy succor shall be. 3. Fear not, I am with thee; oh, be not dismayed, For I am thy God and will still give thee aid. I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand. 4. When through the deep waters I call thee to go, The rivers of sorrow shall not thee o’erflow, For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless, And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

5. When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie, My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply. The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine. 6. E’en down to old age, all my people shall prove My sov’reign, eternal, unchangeable love; And then, when gray hair shall their temples adorn, Like lambs shall they still in my bosom be borne. 7. The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose I will not, I cannot, desert to his foes; That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake, I’ll never, no never, I’ll never, no never, I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!

While pondering what I could write today. I turned on Music and the Spoken Word. Lloyd D. Newell was talking about the Hymn, How Firm a Foundation. The choir then sang a rather inspiring version of that hymn. It's message is that in spite of all opposition, and in the face of sin and life's great challenges, God will always be our help and our guide.

I have decided that we must always sing the last verse. The strength of singing that verse together re-invigorates the soul. " I will not, I cannot desert to his foes." Then the final chant of, "I'll never, no never, I'll never, no never, I'll never, no never, no never forsake!" When you sing these words of power it shakes the very foundation of hell and all of the heavens shout for joy.

Our God will never forsake us, why should we forsake him? Often when burdened by our sins that as Nephi said, "which do so easily beset me," we shrink (2 Nephi 4:18). We forget that Christ has suffered so that all of our sins can be forgiven. His work and glory is to bring eternal life (Moses 1:39), not to condemn. He gave us our weaknesses so that He might make us strong (Ether 12:27). He did not give them to us to condemn us. I ask again, why should we forsake? Our God's purpose is to raise us up and bring us hope. Men are that they might have joy (2Nephi 2:25).

Christ has always said his burden is light (Matt 11:30). If we trust in him first and seek his kingdom first then he will ease our burdens so that we cannot feel them upon our backs. Then we can stand as a witness that God does visit us in our afflictions (Mosiah 24:14).

That is why we should sing this hymn often and always the last verse, to remind us to never, never, no never forsake!!