I deal with abandoned children everyday. They are abandoned by their parents, but they aren't alone. Everyone, at some point in time experiences some type of dissapointment, and you can choose 2 different routes in this crisis. One, is to believe that God is with you and will help you, and the other is to believe God has abandoned you and you have nothing left.
Right now, this very moment, I can't even count on my 2 hands and 2 feet the amount of crisis that is wreaking havic on my friends, family, and even in my own life. I am so thankful that I have a promise from God and I know without a doubt that He is with me and will never leave me. But in this time I have found that many of these dear people believe God has abandoned them. That when they sinned or that when a crisis occured that God left the arena. Did you know that this isn't a new phenomena? The Israelites thought this same thing.
The Israelites had been in the promised land for a while and started doing what was easy. They began following other Gods and trusting in themselves. Amidst their new found freedom the Philistines overtook them and stole their Ark of the Covenant. The people fell into depression and totally out of hope. Then out of no where (well actually God had placed a plague upon the Philistines) the Ark of the Covenant came riding back into Israel on a cart pulled by cows (the Philistines were trying to get the plague to leave them). But even with the Ark back no blessings were bestowing the Israelites. "During that time, all Israel mourned because it seemed that the LORD had abandoned them." 1 Samuel 7:2b. So Samuel, the Judge of Israel at the time went to the people to discuss this matter. "Then Samuel said to all the people of Israel, 'If you are really serious about wanting to return to the LORD, get rid of your foreign gods and your images of Ashtoreth. Determine to obey only the LORD; then he will rescue you from the Philistines." 1 Samuel 7:3. Samuel saw through the fog, he looked out of the box, and realized the reason God seemed so far was because the people had ventured off from Him. They had so many issues going on around them that they were trusting other gods, not the One True God.
Putting our trust in other things can be the simple thing to do when we are in a crisis, but when we look up we can be so deep that we can no longer see God and feel He has abandoned us. That trust that we put in things, friends, money, family, chance....really only can manifest power and strength if it is found in God alone. He is the only Rock and foundation that will be there and never leave. God has made a beautiful promise to us when we are going through rough times. "When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you." Isaiah 43:2. And that is a promise I trust in and have lived through. I have walked in deep waters and God always kept my hair dry. A dear friend of mine has literally been stuck under the rapids of a river and in life, and God pulled her free and lifted her out. Another friend has walked through fires in her marriage and God had his hand over her blocking the flames and she came out unburned with a beautiful tan. The one thing we have in common is that in all this we knew God was with us. He was our comfort and the only one we could trust. We knew he never abandoned us.
He has made this same promise to you. If you are feeling that God has abandoned you and you are thinking about just walking away. The farther you walk from God the harder things will get. If you don't think you are hearing from Him, maybe you are just out of His Will, not doing what He has asked. Try and return to Him, I promise He has never left you and He really isn't that far. In Isaiah 43:5a, God says, "Do not be afraid, for I am with you." Trust Him, you aren't Abandoned!
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