JESUS NEVER FAILS
Earthly friends may prove untrue,
Doubts and fears assail;
One still loves and cares for you,
One who will not fail.
Jesus never fails, Jesus never fails,
Heav’n and earth may pass away,
But Jesus never fails.
Though the sky be dark and drear,
Fierce and strong the gale,
Just remember He is near,
And He will not fail.
In life’s dark and bitter hour
Love will still prevail;
Trust His everlasting power
Jesus will not fail.
Arthur A. Luther
© Copyright 1927. Renewal 1955 by A. A. Luther
The Answer to Our Hope: Jesus Never Fails
“Epic Fail!”
A phrase that has been made popular in recent years and which Urban Dictionary defines as “A mistake of such monumental proportions that it requires its own term in order to successfully point out the unfathomable shortcomings of an individual or group.” Maybe you’ve experienced some epic fails in your own life.
The song referenced for this edition of sealed orders tells us that “Jesus Never Fails.” Now, hindsight is 20/20, so we know that to be true when we look at Scripture. But I want you to imagine for a second that you were one of Jesus’ followers at the time of his death. You don’t know what is coming yet. You can’t see the redemption that he will make possible. What did it look like Friday after his trial? What about Saturday after his burial?
To these followers, in those moments, it probably looked like failure. It certainly didn’t look like what they expected. They were awaiting the Messiah that would come to set them free from the tyranny and oppression that had been placed on them by Rome. But that’s not what Jesus came to do. There was no earthly kingdom coming, no earthly ruler that would make Israel great again. To them, it probably looked like an epic fail.
The beauty of living post-resurrection is that we know it wasn’t. There was more going on and a much deeper plan than these followers had expected. God’s plan blew all of their expectations out of the water because JESUS NEVER FAILS.
Have you ever felt like those followers on the Friday or Saturday after Jesus’ death? Have you ever felt that you can’t see God’s plan even though you have been praying earnestly for him to reveal it? Maybe it has felt like Jesus has failed, or, at least we are tempted to believe that. When we find ourselves in these moments, we’ve got to remember that while our understanding may fail, Jesus never does. He is faithful, and his plan is greater than the ones that our minds can fathom. Just because you can’t see the outcome, doesn’t mean Jesus has forgotten about your concern. And this is where our hope stems from. We can hope for the future because of the assurance of God’s faithfulness. And faithfulness is in His nature. Just look at 2 Timothy 2:13.
“If we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.”
Since we know that God can’t break character, that he can’t NOT be faithful, we can trust Him with what’s ahead, knowing that He will never fail. And this gives us a hope that no one can ever take away.
Lt. Nick Helms