Never abandoned, never lost

In this episode, we receive a timely word of hope for anyone facing uncertainty about the future, especially those wondering how life will be sustained when seasons change.

Anchored in Psalm 16:8–11, this message reminds us that when we set the Lord always before us and recognize Him at our right hand, we will not be moved. God is not only ahead of us as our guide; He is beside us as our strength, support, and defense.

This episode encourages you to rest in the assurance that you are never abandoned and never lost. The Lord will show you the path of life, keep you steady, and teach you how to live with confidence, even when political, economic, personal, or financial uncertainties surround you.

You will be strengthened to cultivate God’s presence as the true source of joy, stability, and lasting satisfaction. In His presence is fullness of joy, and at His right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Key Scripture: Psalm 16:8–11
Key Declaration: I am kept steady. I stay guided. I proceed with confidence.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:09

Have you ever looked at your future and felt a quiet fear creeping? You thought about the years ahead, compared where you are now to where you might be, and wondered how you will sustain yourself when things change. Time felt like it was running out. If that's you this morning, I have a word of hope for you. Good morning and welcome to this morning's expression of igniting your day with Bami Deli Olon Otoba. This morning, I have a word of hope for somebody who has just experienced some uncertainty about his or her future. You thought of your future for a few minutes and you almost got into fear. You looked at your life and living now, then compared it to what your future is likely to be, knowing that sustaining yourself now may be different from how you sustain yourself in the future and you almost became afraid. Let me add, you felt as if time is running out. Perhaps, to put it realistically, you looked at how many years you have until retirement and you concluded that time indeed is running out. I have a word of encouragement for you from Psalm 16, verse 8 to 11. The Bible says there, I have set the Lord always before me, that's David speaking. Because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices. My flesh also will rest in hope, for you will not leave my soul in fear, nor will you allow your holy one to see corruption. You will show me the path of life. In your presence is fullness of joy. At your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Friends, I wrote down here in my notes: never abandoned, never lost. Never abandoned, never lost. This is the assurance the Lord is speaking to you this morning. You will never be abandoned. You will never be lost. Let me say that again. You will never be lost. I perceive that there is a level of relevance the Lord has blessed you with now among your community. I see that. You're a little bothered. You ask yourself, what of those who are impacted by my life? What will happen to them? What of those who by my living on a daily basis are blessed? What will happen to them? I say to you again this morning, never abandoned, never lost. What did David mean when he said, I have set the Lord always before me? David is saying, I keep God in view before I act. I keep God in view before I act. I hope you know that God understands your evolution. That is, he understands who you were, who you are, and who you'll be in the future. So if you keep God in view before you act, God, who sees not just your today but also sees your tomorrow guides you on how you can act sustainably. He guides you on how you can take actions that are both beneficial to your today and beneficial to your tomorrow. I have set the Lord always before me. So I pray the way I do. I have set the Lord always before me. So I study the way I do. I have set the Lord always before me. So I engage the Lord the way I do, not just because of my today. No, the Lord understands my evolution, He understands where I'm coming from, He understands where I am, He also understands where I'm going. So the actions He permits me to take today are not just actions beneficial for my today, but actions beneficial for my tomorrow. Because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. That means God is close, it means God is present, it means God is actively helping me where I need strength, where I need support, where I need defense. David, in essence, is saying, I keep the Lord before me, and I also recognize He is beside me, He is not far away. My God is near enough to strengthen me. My God is near enough to uphold me. My God is near enough to defend me and to keep me steady. You had that right. Keep me steady. Can you declare this morning? The Lord keeps me steady. The Lord keeps me steady. The Lord keeps me steady. Maybe you are here. The moment I said he keeps me steady, it's as if you've been looking forward to that word. He keeps me steady. Why don't you declare this morning? I am kept steady. I am kept steady. Yes, I keep the Lord before me, and I also recognize He is beside me. He's not far away. He's near enough to strengthen me. He's near enough to uphold me. He's near enough to defend me. He keeps me steady. He keeps me steady. Masnysis, therefore, my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices. My flesh also will rest in hope. My heart is glad. My glory rejoices, and I will proceed with confidence. I proceed with confidence, acting as if I do not know what is going on around me. I proceed with confidence. A lot of things will be said, a lot of things will happen politically, a lot of things will happen economically, but I proceed as if I do not even hear anything that is going on. Why? Because I have said the Lord before me, He is also at my right hand. I do not know what the political developments are around you. I do not know what the economic indices are where you are. I do not know how you have done your projections to take a look at what the future will resemble. With regards to what's going on now, I say again to you, therefore, my heart is glad, my glory rejoices, I rest in hope. Why? Because I have set the Lord before me, He is at my right hand. I declare concerning you this morning that no matter what is happening around you, you rest in confidence, you proceed with confidence in the name of Jesus. Take a look at verse 11. The Bible says there you will show me the path of life. In your presence is fullness of joy, at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. You will show me the path of life. When the time comes, you, O God, will tell me. You will teach me how to live. This means that God does not only protect you from being lost, He actively guides you into the way that leads to the life He has prepared for you. The hope here is that I will not remain confused. No, if you are confused right now, I even refuse to be confused. Yes, I refuse to be confused. Refuse to be confused as well. God will never put you or put me or abandon me where I will remain uncertain forever. No, God shows me where I will walk, God shows me where I will stay, God shows me how to live, God shows me how to move, and He shows me what leads to the quality of life He has ordained for me. He shows me how to get to the quality of life He has prepared for me. Why don't you declare that this morning? I stay guided. The Lord guides me, speaking to your future. You are shown the path of life, the Lord shows you the path of life. Never lost, never abandoned. There is a sincere prayer that is good for us to pray for ourselves this morning. I've read this passage severally, but it never touched me the way it did this morning. Verse 11 says, You will show me the path of life. In your presence is fullness of joy. At your right hand are pleasures forevermore. This means if you can learn to cultivate his presence, trap his presence, retain his presence, then your joy is guaranteed, and at his right hand, pleasures forevermore. What responsibility then do I have? As I advance in my daily life, as I advance according to age, I advance also in my ability to cultivate his presence. I will not be worse at cultivating his presence this year than I was last year. No, as my days are, so is my strength in cultivating, so is my strength in trapping, so is my strength in retaining, so is my strength in continuing in his presence. His presence is the key. In your presence is fullness of joy, not in my achievement, not in my salary, not in where I have, not in where I live, not in the country I live, in your presence is fullness of joy. That is God's divine strategy to provide you insulation. This is God's divine strategy to isolate you from what is going on around you. If you can learn to cultivate, learn how to retain, learn how to sustain, learn how to live inside his presence, you will always experience fullness of joy. Maybe you are here and you're saying, But God is everywhere. I know God is everywhere. I'm talking about enjoying God's company. If you can know how to cultivate and maintain a life in His company, you experience joy forevermore. I do not know who this is for this morning. You had the certainty about the future. You thought to yourself, what happens if? You thought to yourself, what happens when? You thought to yourself, how would I continue if? David said, I have set the Lord always before me, because He is at my right hand, I will not be moved. I pray for you this morning. You are kept steady and you advance with confidence. You are kept steady and you proceed with confidence. I pray for you this morning, especially for everyone whose income depends particularly on their daily participation. You are kept steady in the name of Jesus. Amen. I believe, friends, that you have been blessed by what you heard this morning. Do well to share this with somebody you care for. I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow. I wish you an amazing day ahead. God bless you.