Abandon: June 7, 2013

TODAY’S WORD FOR FRIDAY JUNE, 7, 2013

ABANDON

DEFINITION:

To leave completely; forsake; desert; to give up; to discontinue; to relinquish; to withdraw from; to give up hope.

SCRIPTURE:

My loved ones and my friends stand aloof, and my relatives stand a far off.  Psalm 38:11.

My God, My God, why have You forsaken me? Psalm 22:1

At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. II Timothy 4:16.

Jesus said, I will never leave you nor forsake [abandon] you. Hebrews 13:5. 

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Some years ago when we were involved in a large feeding program for inner city families in the greater Los Angeles Area, we met a dear woman, whose name was Mae Raines. She lived in a very poor area of south Los Angeles. Mae was known as "God's Angel" to her community. She came to our warehouse center two to three times a week and filled her car to the roof with food. She then distributed this food to the neediest people in her community. 

I remember the day she came to our warehouse to pick up food and she had in her arms a little 3 day old baby. This baby was what they called a "druggy" and had been abandoned. Mae could not allow this baby to die so she took him in and began the process of making him well. The baby was constantly shaking as his body was going through withdrawal from the drugs his mother had used during her pregnancy.

We watched this boy grow. It was the love of a Christian mother, Mae Raines, over several years that soon brought him to the place where he could live a normal life. Yes, this baby was abandoned, but a loving lady, "GOD'S ANGEL," saw to it that this boy could live and today he is living a normal life.

We can also remember watching TV reports many years ago of all the babies who were abandoned in Romania under the dictatorship of their former leader. When freedom came their way the terrible situation of these orphan children became international news. Soon many of these abandoned children were adopted and began to live a normal life because someone loved them. The lives of hundreds of children were literally saved. Their stories of how love and care changed the course of life for these abandoned babies are heart-warming and inspirational.

We can only imagine how abandoned the disciples and the followers of Jesus felt when they saw Jesus crucified and His body laid in a tomb. They had put all of their trust in Jesus and now their hopes had vanished. In Luke 24:13-19, we read of two followers of Jesus walking and talking on the road to Emmaus. Jesus appeared to them in His resurrected body and they did not recognize Him. Jesus asked them what they were talking about. With saddened faces they explained that they were talking about the crucifixion of Jesus. They said that they had hoped that Jesus was the one who was going to redeem Israel. They felt so abandoned.

Jesus then explained to them from the scripture why He had to suffer and die. He explained also all the references in the scripture beginning with Moses and the prophets concerning Himself. As Jesus was talking to them, the scripture says that soon their eyes were opened and they saw their Messiah, the resurrected Christ. He had not abandoned them. He was right there walking beside them.

When you feel abandoned or feel confused, the Word of God is always the best place to look for comfort and insight. What a wonderful promise we have that Jesus will never leave us nor forsake us. Others may abandon us but Jesus never will. He who gives himself to God will never be abandoned by God. We may abandon God but He continues to walk beside us, waiting for us to open our eyes and acknowledge Him as our Savior.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Psalm 119:105.

Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.

PRAYER:

I come to you today knowing the promise from Your Word that assures me that You will never leave me nor forsake me. Help me today to reach out to someone that feels abandoned and needs my love. May I share with them the love that You have given me. Bless my family and give each one of us a servant's attitude as we face life today.