06/18/2019
Have you ever felt alone in your faith? Have you cried out to God, and not heard so much as an echo in return? Has the silence of God overwhelmed you to the point where you asked yourself if you had been abandoned? Are you in that place now? If this is you, and you are surrounded by silence, or loneliness, take heart, because God never deserts us.
“For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed," says the Lord, who has compassion on you.”
Isaiah 54:10 ESV
We read verses such as this and try to take heart in them, but even as we do the silence can deafen us. However, I can assure you that His love remains with us. In times such as this we can be just like that person in our own lives who has disappointed us, or made us angry. In the midst of this personal emotion we sometimes go out, get into the car, and drive around until we have cooled off... or perhaps we take a long walk to clear our minds. We, just like God, must deal with our emotion.
“For a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compassion I will gather you. In overflowing anger for a moment I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you," says the Lord, your Redeemer.”
Isaiah 54:7-8 ESV
We often quote Genesis by saying that we were created in the image of God, but that image is more than just how we look in the mirror... it includes emotion. God gave us such emotions as love, kindness, compassion, and empathy, but He also gave us anger, hate, jealousy, disappointment, and sorrow. We have these things because God made us in His image. We get angry as a way of understanding God’s anger. We get disappointed to understand how much He wants us to be perfect, and we love so that we can feel that deep affection that He has for us. Our God is a God of emotion, and sometimes He needs to take a moment to gather Himself... just as we do. Thus the silence... thus the flood of Noah, and the Israelites as they spent 400 years in Egypt.
So yes, we feel alone at times, but God has not left us for long, and no, He has not eternally abandoned us. As we seek His face, and call out to Him in contrition, He returns to us, and we can profess our sorrow, and the love between us can be rekindled by His breath upon the coals of a relationship that never went out.
“For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed," says the Lord, who has compassion on you.”
Isaiah 54:10 ESV
If you feel lost today, perhaps abandoned, or surrounded by silence... take heart! God is forever with you, and He loves you so much that He sent His only begotten Son to find you, redeem you, and reestablish your relationship with Him. Reach out to Jesus, and call unceasing on the name of God because He loves you now and forever, and His unrelenting love is your reward now, and for your generations to come...
“"O afflicted one, storm-tossed and not comforted, behold, I will set your stones in antimony, and lay your foundations with sapphires. I will make your pinnacles of agate, your gates of carbuncles, and all your wall of precious stones. All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children.”
Isaiah 54:11-13 ESV
Prayer:
Father, thank you for making us in your image. Thank you for giving us the emotion which is such a part of you so that we might begin to understand how you feel towards us. Keep us in your arms always Holy Father, and have patients with us in our imperfection. Help us to seek you always, and to love you with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Ease our fear in those moments when we are surrounded by your silence, or find ourselves afraid that we have been abandoned. Speak out to us Lord, even if it is to voice your disappointment, and we will fall at your feet as we ask for forgiveness. Your silence causes us to tremble, and the thought of being separated from you is our greatest fear... it destroys our hope, and leaves us lost to ourselves. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God whose promise is to never leave us, and whose voice comforts us; even in its displeasure. Great are you our Provider, Protector, and Redeemer. All glory is yours as our souls sing out to you. Our faith in your presence brings eternal honor and glory to you. Hear us now our God.
Rich Forbes