A Prescription for Feeling Forsaken

Main Course: 5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”[a]6 So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”[b] (Hebrews 13:5-6).

Have you ever felt forsaken and even been forsaken by your friends, family members, co-workers, children, etc? The heartbroken feeling sinks into the core of your soul and crushes you to pieces where you now feel abandoned, forgotten, and left alone. How do you move on in life? How do you come back from a crushing blow in the boxing ring of life? You take one step at a time, one day at a time. And sometimes BEFORE you KNOW that he will never leave or forsake you, you have to LEARN of Him so you can boldly say: “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

The early/first church was instructed on how to conduct themselves in their daily life and walk with God. Like a child, they had to be molded to follow the lifestyle of Christ, which was to keep themselves unspotted from the world (James 1:27, 1 Jn 2:16). We live in the world, but we are not of the world = we don’t take part in their belief system, Ps. 1:3). They faced poverty, poor living conditions, persecutions, mockery, neglect, rejection, trauma, abandonment, etc. because of their commitment to now follow Christ (Lk 9:23). And covetousness was a huge issue in the Body that needed to be dealt with (so much that it was mentioned in scripture).

But what is the connection between feeling forsaken and covetousness? The comparison syndrome between the haves and the haves-not (what you have or somebody else has and what you don't have). Because if you are without then you begin to covet other things because your focus is on people or things and not on God, who is the provider of all things.

And as the Bible indicates, the way to kill covetousness is to be content. Covetousness is the polar opposite of contentment. In addition, being content is something that you learn and acquire over time from different situations and circumstances. It is a multi-faceted experience because you learn from all angles of life, which means from people, yourself, your circumstances/situation, and from God Himself (Matt 11:28, Rms 8:28). Contentment is worked out in you, like patience (Jam1:5, Prov 24:16). Contentment is foundational for your peace Is 28:16. You don’t have to fall prey to covetousness (the love of $$ or the lust for other things) when you have prosperity (=soul is anchored in the Word). Ps 24:1, 2 Peter1:3, Jer. 32:27; Ps. 50:10, Deut 28:12; 1 Cor 3:21-23; Rms 8:17.

Besides, God will not abandon himself – we are made in the image and likeness of Christ. Our main purpose and goal in life are to be conformed to the image of Christ = no matter what our situation may look like and for however long it may last. Here's your prescription (take up to 3xs/per day or as often as needed).

Establish yourself in the Word instead of your feelings:

Cast your cares on the Lord for He cares for you and about you (1 Pet. 5:7).
God is not a person with the capacity to lie (Num.19:28).
He is faithful and has not, will not fail (Heb. 11:11).
Change your focus and look to Jesus (Ps. 34:5; Heb. 12:2).

And then finally, ask yourself, have you endured more than Jesus? Is the servant greater than His master? You inherit all things from the life of Christ and that includes trouble, but you overcome and God gives you victory (this is a depression-proof life) John 16:33. Even though feeling/being forsaken, is part of the territory, you are still victorious in Christ, a positional, unchangeable truth (2 Cor. 4:8-10, Rom 8:17, 1 Pet. 1:23). Trouble, heartaches, and pain is part of your promotion package – your spiritual growth and promotion to help others and become a greater influence in the kingdom of God.

Have you ever made your bed in hell like King David? Take a look at this very unique interpretation of Psalm 139 an excerpt from the book LovePsalms, entitled When I Made My Bed in Hell (see download below).