Abandoned But Not Forgotten

For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say:
“The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?”

Hebrews 13:5b-6

Many of us have experienced abandonment along life’s road, and whether it was forced upon us or we willfully chose this plot it does not matter. We may look back on these times in our life and wish to God that they had not taken place and question why He was not there to care for us when no one else would. We may continue to question God today and even wonder if he really is a God of love and mercy. We may even doubt that His Words penned in Hebrews 13:5 “I will never leave you nor forsake you,” are true when in the midst of our abandonment, as we feel so forsaken.

The reality is that while we may feel like God has abandoned us—which is not the case—we may face times where we are pressed, tormented, troubled, persecuted, mistreated or abused but we are not destroyed. We need to recognize that there are times when we feel like we are standing on the brink of oblivion but we are not forgotten—God knows and God cares. We may be abandoned by those here on earth that we love or think should love and care for us, but God is still there to love and care for us. We do not live for ourselves; rather, we now live for God. We live according to His purpose and sometimes that is a purpose that is not clear to us and is hard to discern.

Even if our time of abandonment has past and we have come to terms with difficult times we faced, we at times can experience flash backs and memories that are still with us and cause us to again question God. Had God turned His back on me? Why was I forsaken, deserted, abandoned? Or, had I done something to deserve this? Why would God let these things happen to me? Had I not lived a pleasing life unto Him? After all, I was just a young child and so innocent and naive. There are sure a lot of “I’s” in there, aren’t there? On the other hand, is our spiritual life so precious to God that He was willing to let us endure these hardships for a greater purpose? If we are His children, then didn’t it hurt Him to see us go through these things? Then, why would He let us?

Forsaken… never! Loved… absolutely! He loves us so much that just like Paul, His grace is sufficient for us. When we had no one else, He was there. When everyone thought we would die, He sustained us. When we faltered, He encouraged. When we lost hope, He rescued us. When we were weak, He lent us His strength. God did all of this and still continues to do so each and every day that we are alive! We know that God is much more concerned about our spiritual wellbeing and He will allow life’s circumstances to drive us to where we must be—on our knees at the foot of the cross—if that is what it takes to conform us to His image. What we endure in this life is not important; how we respond to life’s trials is because it reveals our character.

As we come to this understanding in our lives, we need to yearn for God. As though we are a foreigner far from home and like the prodigal son, we only want to see our Father’s face. Our live’s are His; we have given them to Him and will not ask for them back. Pray that He use our lives to His glory, His honor, His purpose and that it be lives lived as a daily sacrifice for Him. If we can just do that, then perhaps one day I will stand before my Savior to hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Then it will all be worthwhile. Until that time, no matter what life may throw at us, know that I we are not forsaken; instead, He loves us enough to refine us as through fire. And we also know that when He molds us and makes us, He must hold us, never letting us go. How do we know? Because God is our Father and we are His children. And, He isn’t about to let us go, no matter how those here on earth have treated or mistreated us—abandoned by those we love, but never forgotten by God!