Abandoned

 

Are there times in your life you feel like God has abandoned you?  Prayers seem to be unanswered and heaven appears to be silent.  You wonder if you can take another loss, disappointment or crisis in your life.   In the middle of it all you ask yourself, “how did I end up here?”

In the book of Ruth, Naomi, Ruth’s mother- in- law finds herself in that place.  She left Bethlehem in Judah with her husband and two sons during a time of famine seeking better provision in the land of Moab.  He husband, Elimelech died and Naomi’s sons married Moab women.  After 10 years both sons died and she was left a widow with her daughter- in -laws in a foreign land.  They were her only family in Moab and being a widow in their time in history was truly a crisis.  They had no one to protect them, no means of support and were at risk of starving if they did not find others husband or family to reside with. 

There is much more to Naomi’s story and yes, it does end well but let’s look at where she is at the beginning of this story.  She is broken, grieved and in desperate need of a solution.   I am sure she felt abandoned by God.   God had always promised to provide for the children of Israel but her family had left their homeland of provision to find a better way.   They walked out of God’s provision for them.  Now outside of God’s protective boundaries she was in a place of loss and totally vulnerable.   She does make the decision to return to her homeland and her daughter-in-law, Ruth returns with her.  Their story plays out the miraculous provision of a loving God who not only made away for them but planted the seed for our redemption in their lineage.

In our desperate times in life, we can feel abandoned by God.  If we allow grief, fear, bitterness and doubt to creep into our lives it can take residence and steal our hope from us.  We can walk right out of God’s boundaries and provision for us by believing He doesn’t care or want to help us.  We leave His country and live in the country of doubt and hopelessness.

God promises He will never leave us or forsake us.

I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.  John 14:18

And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.  Matthew 28:20

Many times, we are the ones who abandon God in our distress.  This song “Abandoned” expresses the deep anguish of a heart in distress.  The voice in this song comes to the realization that perhaps it is not God who has abandoned her but she is the one who walked away from God.

God will always make a way for us to return to Him.

A virtual retreat: The Pathway-The Journey of Ruth and Naomi

Available for viewing on Bridessong1 You Tube   Playlist: The Pathway

Trailer below