Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – September 1, 2014
And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). Mark 15:34
Jesus felt abandoned by His heavenly Father. He alone bore the sin of all the human race. In that lonely moment on the cross our compassionate Father above laid the iniquity of us all onto His innocent Son below. Since holy God does not associate with sin, Jesus was the selfless sacrifice who suffered by Himself. The one without sin–was made sin–so we could be set free from sin. The feeling of abandonment causes our soul to cry out for comfort. Aloneness needs consolation.
Do you feel abandoned by someone? Has a child chosen to wander off into the far country of Christ-less living? Our soul aches in these moments of another’s moral exile. We feel rejected, because they blatantly reject our biblical worldview. We are fearful that they may never return to the faith of their mother and father. We are angry at the naive prodigal for the angst left behind in our home that was once full of laughter and peace. Self condemnation and shame haunt our hearts with reoccurring regrets. What could we have done differently? Our love feels abandoned.
“During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission” (Hebrews 5:7).
It’s in our times of abandonment that we abandon ourselves to God. Our heavenly Father is near to hear our hurting heart. Our suffering Savior Jesus offers us the solace of His understanding and assurance of something good coming out of our grief. The Holy Spirit is also within us to comfort and encourage our seemingly hopeless situation. Thus, we pray with a new sense of intimacy with the Almighty. In prayer we process our worst fears and God gives us His peace.
Moreover, make sure to engage a caring community to walk with you in your distress. Many parents have a child who has broken their hearts. The greater grace they experienced that repaired their fractured souls is what you need when you feel all alone. Your circumstance is not unique in the Body of Christ. We are all in recovery from past and/or present hurts and disappointments. We cannot solve our irritating issues by ourselves, but with the wisdom of fellow followers of Jesus we gain insight, hope and faith that the Lord is in control. Stay abandoned to His loving care!
“Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way” (Hebrews 13:18).
Prayer: Heavenly Father, when I feel abandoned, lead me to abandon myself to You.
Related Readings: Nehemiah 6:9; Luke 22:41-44; Romans 8:26; 1 Thessalonians 5:25
Post/Tweet today: It’s during the times we feel abandoned, that we abandon ourselves to our heavenly Father’s love. #wisdomhunters
Additional Resource: 6 minute video, Dr. Stanley, Abandoned by God- http://bit.ly/1kRAISc
Our new book, The Way of Wisdom: A Journey Towards Spiritual Growth, coming October! Pre-order your copy today. Boyd’s one minute book video- http://bit.ly/1nhZ2bt
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