To forsake is synonymous with abandon. Leaving someone or something behind is the same as forsaking them and their beliefs or possessions. Occasionally, pets are discarded; they are forsaken. There are times when a location is forsaken, and nobody visits it. Most terrible, we exist in a world where innocent individuals and young children are forsaken.
Men and women spend their life in jail, abandoned by most of society; elderly people stay in homes with few visits, deserted by those younger and busy; and kids who don’t or can’t measure up to particular norms are often forsaken by educational systems.
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46)
Will God Ever Forsake Us?
“I’m going to stop seeing you.” “There is no cure for your condition.” “We’re cutting back on staff in the office. Your final day is today.” “I’m very sorry. Your daughter died in the line of duty.”
Sometimes, when we receive devastating news, our worldview flips upside down, and we begin to make unreasonable assumptions such as “God has forsaken us” or “He doesn’t care.” We have a natural tendency to look for an explanation and a scapegoat. It’s common for us to direct our bafflement toward God.
But that’s not who God is at all. In case you need further convincing that God will never forsake you, consider these points:
He is here first.
“God made the sky and the earth in the beginning.” (Genesis 1:1)
This is the very first line of Scripture. God existed before anything else—humanity, life on earth, oceans, and the sun. Knowing this might calm us down when everything seems to be falling apart around me. He’s the one who keeps everything from falling apart. In His likeness, we were created.
John’s Gospel provides a moving reminder of this fact:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:5-6)
God provides us with life—our first breath and our very being. The God who made the world will not leave or forsake it.
God’s record.
We can trace God’s history of faithfulness to His people back to the beginning. He counseled Adam and Eve, put Abraham’s faith to the test, and promised Jacob that a country and a republic of kingdoms would emerge from him.
Seeing God’s faithfulness in the lives of others strengthens our hope that He will do the same for us.
God loves us.
God’s love for His children is unconditional. This is evident from the fact that He sacrificed His only begotten Son so that the world may be saved through His death and resurrection. So why do we assume He’d abandon us? If we flawed humans have even a glimpse of genuine love, imagine how much more we are enveloped in our Father’s flawless love.
God’s love for us is best illustrated through the parables of the prodigal son and the lost sheep. Both illustrate how it is we human beings who are the ones who wander away, give up, and deviate from the path, while God remains the same, unchanging and waiting for us with open arms.
God has a plan.
As Christians, we may be assured that God has a good plan for our life as we follow the paths He has laid out for us. Jesus and his followers showed us how to be happy with what we have and use our talents for God’s glory.
Hebrews 13:5 is a reminder from the Bible that we must guard our life: “free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’”
The Holy Spirit is within us.
We, who profess faith in Jesus Christ, are confident in our embrace of the Holy Spirit. God is constantly with us as the Holy Spirit, who is part of the Trinity, resides inside us. Knowing and trusting that God is already a part of us brings an immense sense of peace and contentment.
Psalm 51 comes to life with this insight:
“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” (Psalms 51:10-12)
God isn’t human.
Many of our worries about being abandoned stem from our interactions with flawed people, including ourselves. Thankfully, the words of Numbers 23:19 serve as a reminder that: “God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?”
Although we have a flawed capacity for love and devotion, we may take comfort in the fact that God is not human and can love us no matter what.
He’s arranging a room for us.
When Jesus was crucified, one of the prisoners hanging nearby realized that Jesus had committed no wrongdoing. Jesus responded to the man who begged Him to remember him when He ushered in the Kingdom of God by saying, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).
It’s comforting to know that we’ll spend eternity with our Savior in a place that will be even more beautiful than paradise. We have been left a legacy that will remain intact indefinitely. This inheritance is reserved in heaven for you, who are protected from harm by God’s mighty hand due to your faith until the revelation of salvation at the end of the age.
It is a privilege to know that, somewhere, preparations are being made for you and me to spend eternity in splendor.
He promises to be there for us at all times.
The Bible contains passages that assure Christians that God will always be there for them. In Deuteronomy 31:8 Moses informs Joshua of God’s direction: “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
In Matthew 18:20, Jesus assures us that whenever His followers gather, He is among them: “‘For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.’”
As we bring people to Christ and fulfill the Great Commission, we experience Christ’s presence in a climactic way: “…And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)
Final Thoughts
It’s safe to assume that the creator of the universe has unlimited power. To put it simply, he excels in whatever he does. This eternally dependable God has never let anybody down. For this reason, you need not fear that God will abandon or forsake you. Take this to heart and keep going no matter what.
The Israelites may have believed God had forsaken them at times when he disciplined them. Yet he never gave up on them completely. When we disobey God or sin, His righteous judgment sets things right. He’s a strict father who loves his kids dearly. God blesses those who obey Him in their way.
If you give him your whole faith at any point, he will show off his greatness to you when you need it. Don’t let worry or sadness make you doubt his love and care for you.
You may still find a reason to celebrate despite life’s challenges since God is always there to provide a hand. With Christ, we learn to be patient.
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