”But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me…” [2 Timothy 4:17]
From this present generation have risen many reasons, excuses, accusations, and comfort zones for behavioral problems and dysfunction of all kinds. One of them is a sense of abandonment.
Born into the family of man, every man has this sense in the core of his being. The fact of the matter is man abandoned his God and wounded himself in the process. Sin resulting in separation from God is the root cause while abandonment is the consequence. Only one solution is available.
Paul gives us truth when he said, “all forsook me…but the Lord stood with me.”
All men may leave us, but only those connected to the Father can say I am abandoned. To be abandoned by our fellowman is an opportunity to be abandoned to God. We can then be an open vessel for His strength and power. His promise to us is, ”I will never leave you nor forsake you” [Hebrews 13:5]
“When a soul abandons to God, God will not abandon it. But let that soul trust its wits and become its own amateur providence and dexterous muddle will be the result.” [Oswald Chambers]
When we encounter trouble and find ourselves standing alone, it is then we quickly learn the depth of our stability. Solomon tells us this, ”If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength!” [Proverbs 24:10]. These are the times in our lives when our weakness is revealed and God’s strength is made manifest. Paul said, everyone else left but the Lord remained, He not only remained by my side but He also gave me strength!
Diane M. Hale For the past 30 years, Diane has served as evangelist, trainer, teacher, mentor, and consultant for churches of many denominations.
