By Deanna Bartalini

 

 

“For the Lord will not forsake his people;
    he will not abandon his heritage.”~ Psalm 94:14b

Have you ever felt abandoned by God? Sadly, I think many can say yes to this. Maybe it happened to you during a challenging season in your life, and nothing was going right. Today’s readings show us a different way.

Crying Out to God

In despair, I have often cried out to God, mired in the depths of a situation that seems endless and hopeless, feeling abandoned. But that is not possible. Intellectually we know God would never abandon us, but we have heard Jesus ask, “My God, My God, why have you abandoned me?” and so it seems possible that He could abandon us. But He never does.

Years ago, my husband was in the hospital for surgery, and through a series of events, that surgery became minor, and other problems loomed large in front of us. He didn’t want to proceed as the doctors advised. We were at a significant decision point and stalled. I was losing hope and patience when a call from the nurse said friends wanted to come in, so I left to speak to them. Our daughter was alone with her father. She convinced him to move forward. Moments before I left the room, I was sure all was lost, and God had undoubtedly forgotten my husband. My prayers for His intervention, to show Himself, were going unheeded. Or so I thought. That interruption was an opportunity; He will never abandon us. God showed up strong and certainly did not abandon us that day.

Never Abandoned

The psalmist reminds us, “The LORD will not abandon his people,” and it is true! So, when you are in despair, turn to Him and as Jesus tells us in the Gospel, give Him praise for what you know about God and how He works. When you do that, you will see that God does not abandon you. Ever.

 

Prayer

Dear God, I call to you from the depths of my soul and pray you come to my help before I fall into despair. I know you are always with me. Amen.

Call to Action

Make a list of all the times God has rescued you from despair. Then, if you find yourself falling into that feeling, read the list, reminding yourself of all that God has done for you.

 

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