March 5, 2014.

How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
    How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I take counsel in my soul
    and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
(Psalm 13:1-2)

Have you ever felt abandoned by the Lord? Don’t worry, you can answer that question in the affirmative. You are not alone. Even David, a man after God’s own heart, felt abandoned by God at points in his life. When things just didn’t seem to be going the way they should or when bad things kept happening, how could he say that God was looking out for him? I believe we come to some of the same conclusions as David, though our situations are much different.

I know that I have felt this way before, and still do at times. When I first read through this psalm, it was impeccable timing for God to reveal this message to me. It’s ok to feel abandoned, though it doesn’t me you are necessarily. It’s honestly part of the human condition, especial in our age of reason and intellect. Just remember, if things aren’t going exactly how you think they should be going, this in and of itself does not mean God has abandoned you. God can see all, and he knows what is best in the long run. If we ask to live according to his will for us, we will have the right opportunities arise in life to get us where he wants us to go. If you are confused, I’m afraid I don’t have all that much comfort for you except for the guarantee in Romans 8:28:

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
(Rom. 8:28)

All things will work together for good if we seek the kingdom first. We may never know this side of heaven why we weren’t given a certain opportunity or why we were driven in a certain direction. Job was never told why he was tested so severely; he did not have a “right” to know why. Yet he remained faithful, though he said some things he probably shouldn’t have. Regardless, Job was tested because he was probably the most righteous man on earth at the time. What a reason! We too, when we are taken through rough times, need not demand an answer, yet trust in the Lord and his path. He knows what he is doing. He can plan our lives much better than we could ever dream of planning them.

“Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
    which cannot be moved, but abides forever.”
(Psalm 125:1)

This is a hard thing to do, but it is a must. I kind of imagine it like this: you’re standing on a cliff, staying down into a grand abyss, the wind blowing all around in a misty fog. The Lord says to you “Just jump, and I will catch you and keep you safe.” To fully trust in the Lord without inhibition is for you to jump without seeing how he is going to save you. You just know he will. When I picture this scene, it is very freeing. We would be relying solely on God and his power.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
    and do not lean on your own understanding.”
(Prov. 3:5)

So, the next time you find yourself abandoned, turn your face towards God and put your faith and trust in him. You may be in for a bumpy ride, but if you are on the Lord’s side, nothing will prevail against you in the end.

Suggested Daily Reading: Psalm 13, 125, Romans 8, Revelation 21-22.

God bless you.

-Walter