Has God truly deserted you?
Sadly, many Christians at times have the feeling of the absence of the presence of God in their lives. Can God really be far away from us?
I personally have experienced this, but what I really did not understand was whether this was a figment of my imagination or reality. My feelings when this happened suggested to me that God had abandoned me. But my knowledge of Scripture proved my feelings wrong: “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrew 13:5).
How we as believers react in times of trouble, attacks, persecution betrayal, and rejection is very important if we continue in this Christian race. It is human to feel the absence of the presence of God when we no longer notice the manifestation of His power and glory around us.
Should we rely on our feelings or the reality of God’s Word? When it seems as if God is silent and our prayers no longer reach Him, how do we react?
Our feelings if not well handled in a time like this can cause major setbacks in our relationship with God. Many of us find it difficult to differentiate between feelings and reality. It is obvious that God cannot abandon or cast away His children (Romans 11:1). Some Christians have gone down the road of apostasy simply because they felt that God was no longer with them. Others have lost confidence in God because of the suffering in their lives.
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An understanding that being a Christian does not give us immunity from troubles and challenges can help us to stand firm in times of trouble. “Many are the afflictions of the righteous,” after all (Psalm 34:19).
Some of us mistake the rejection of man to be the rejection of God. “Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee” (Isaiah 49:15). God has assured us in His Word that He will always be with us, and any contrary opinion is just a feeling — not reality.
When the feeling that God has forsaken us comes, let us not forget that He has promised never to leave us. Our God is a covenant-keeping God who does not break His promises. If we remain steadfast and trust in His unfailing love, He always shows up even in the most hopeless situations. “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5).
Some Christians are quick to conclude that God is no longer there for them during the night hours and miss the joy that accompanies the breaking of the day. Even when darkness hides God's lovely face, we should remain steadfast and rest on His unchanging grace.
I encourage myself in the Lord and continue to trust God to do what only He can do. Jesus felt abandoned, but on the third day, God sent the Holy Spirit to raise Him from the dead and made Him the King of all kings and the Lord of lords. What God did for Christ He will also do for us one day.
We should not be ignorant of the devices of the devil when he tries to discourage us and rob us of the joy we have in the Lord. Nothing shall separate us from the love of God — the same one who is always there for us.
Oscar Amaechina is the president of Afri-Mission and Evangelism Network, Abuja, Nigeria. His calling is to take the gospel to where no one has neither preached nor heard about Jesus. He is the author of the book Mystery Of The Cross Revealed.
