Have you ever felt like God has abandoned you? Surely it made you question your faith in him …
We’ve all been there; even the most devoted Christians have lapses in faith, and challenges in life where God seems to be all but close by.
When Jesus was on the cross,
“…he cried out in a loud voice,“Eloi, Eloi, lama sabacthani?”– which means,“My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”” [Matthew 27:46].
The son of God felt, at that moment, like his Father had deserted him!
In Isaiah [49:14] it speaks of Zion (Israel) accusing God of ‘forgetting them’. Gideon tells the angel of the LORD in Judges that God
“…has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian.” [6:13].
After everything God had done for the Israelites, they still believed He would leave them. Moses had indeed urged the Israelites to
“Be strong and courageous…for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” [Deuteronomy 31:6].
He even repeats this to Joshua in front of all of Israel, to really drive the point home. God would NEVER leave them. He had ‘carried’ them “…as a father carries his son…” [Deuteronomy 1:31]. We’re reminded again of this is Hebrews, along with some advice:
“…be content with what you have, because God has said,“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”” [13:5].
But God never truly leaves us. He is always there to guide us, if only we read the signs and listen to his voice. They may not always say what we would like them to, but we must trust that he knows best – he has a plan and a purpose for each and every one of us.
In fact, the majority of Biblical mentions of forsaking or abandoning, are in reference to man abandoning God, not the other way around! Perhaps this is something we could bear in mind next time we feel that our almighty Father has left us alone.
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Preceding
Belgian Ecclesia Brussel - Leuven 