July 01, 2021 | Letters from the Lead Pastor by Brandon Lenhart
The prophet Jeremiah in Lamentations 3:31-33 (NLT), writes, “For no one is abandoned by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion because of the greatness of his unfailing love. For he does not enjoy hurting people or causing them sorrow.”
When Jeremiah writes this, he is writing from a place of exile after GOD allowed Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians to overtake the Jewish people in Judah and Jerusalem as a form of judgment on His people for their idolatry and disobedience to His commands. The whole book of Lamentations up to this point, and after this point is just that, a lamenting over the punishment of GOD’s people by GOD Himself, and yet, he writes this short three verse section smack dab in the middle of this five-chapter book to remind us of GOD’s ultimate desire for His people: to show them mercy.
There are times in our own life when we feel abandoned by the LORD. We feel neglected, alone, and completely rejected by GOD. These are times we question GOD the most; times when we may even doubt the existence of GOD. But the question is, are we really abandoned by GOD?
There are cases where GOD does turn people over to their own devices because of their stubbornness and unwillingness to live in a relationship with Him. GOD will only suffer so much rejection and disobedience before He stops warning His people and acts against them. The greatest punishment that GOD can give is His absence. Withdrawing His absence from people allows them to succumb to the consequences of their actions, and if their actions are against GOD, judgment and destruction is the result. When people reject GOD long enough, they may truly experience abandonment by GOD for a time.
What of those, however, who have not rejected GOD, and who have remained faithful to Him? Has GOD truly rejected them and left Him alone? The answer is no.
There are countless cases and persons in the Bible who experienced great pain and loss due to no fault of their own. They have remained faithful to GOD and have pursued Him consistently. Job is a good example of this. GOD did not abandon him, but rather allowed Job to be tested knowing that He would ultimately pass the test.
Today, if you are feeling abandoned by GOD, you may need to ask yourself which of these two situations you find yourself in? You might ask, “Has GOD truly abandoned me for a season because of my disobedience, or am I in a difficult season of life due to no fault of my own, and GOD is still with me through this deep, dark valley?”
Whatever the case, we must remember that no one is abandoned by the LORD forever. Though He brings grief, He also shows compassion because of the greatness of His unfailing love.
