TODAY’S WORD FOR THURSDAY JUNE 2, 2016.
ABANDON
To leave completely; to forsake; to desert; to give up; to discontinue; to relinquish; to withdraw from; to give up hope.
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
For He Himself said, I will never leave you nor forsake [abandon] you. Hebrews 13:5.
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.
Over the years that followed we watched this boy grow. It was the love of a Christian mother, Mae Raines 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, years ago, watching TV reports of all the babies who were being abandoned in Romania under the dictatorship of their leader at that time. When freedom came their way the terrible situation of these children became international news. Soon many of these abandoned children were adopted and began to live a normal life because someone loved them. There were literally hundreds of stories that then came to everyone’s attention about how love and care changed the course of life for these abandoned babies.
Being abandoned by someone we love and trust is a very painful experience and usually nothing good comes from it. With the increasing break up of the family because of divorce, many feel abandoned. Abandonment wounds deeply and leaves long lasting emotional scars. David, as we read in Psalms 38:1, felt abandoned by family and loved ones and he felt so alone that he wondered if God had also abandoned him Psalm 22:1.
If you have ever felt abandoned perhaps you have experienced the feeling that God has forgotten you also. 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 had given their all to follow Him 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. It seemed He had abandoned them. He had left them but only for a short time and it was for their good.
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. And the scripture says that soon their eyes were opened and they saw their Messiah, the Resurrected Christ.
He had left them to fulfill His promise, “I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you.” By His death on the cross and His resurrection He made it possible for us to be “sons of God” and spend all eternity with Him.
When you feel abandoned and all alone, the Word of God is always the best place to look for comfort and assurance of God’s love. 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.
Our memory verse for this week is found in Matthew 5:8.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
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 Your 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 reach out to show Your love to others.
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