Never Forsaken

By Susan Nichols, Fellowship Bible Church Celebrate Recovery Devotional Team, March 6th, 2019

“Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’ ” (Romans 4:18, NIV)

Forgotten. 

               Forsaken. 

These are the two words I used to describe how I felt during a difficult time of my life. One hardship followed another until I felt absolutely buried by circumstances. Where was God? It seemed as if He had abandoned me. I looked and looked for some sign of Him but saw nothing, heard nothing, felt nothing. Did He even hear my prayers? Why wasn’t He answering me? 

I know we all sometimes feel overtaken by troubles. We all have moments when mobilizing our faith is a struggle. Even Abraham at first laughed inwardly at the thought of he and Sarah having a child (Genesis 17:17), but let’s look more closely at Abraham, whose faith God credited to him as righteousness.

I think of Abraham and picture a wizened, wrinkled face with a long grey beard. Perhaps his eyesight had dimmed with age and maybe his back was a little stooped. He was aware of his physical decline and knew that fathering a son was impossible. He also recognized that Sarah’s childbearing years had slipped away with her youth. Abraham had “…faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about 100 years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead.” (Romans 4:19). What’s amazing is that Abraham faced the reality of his situation “without weakening in his faith…” (Romans 4:19). His faith wasn’t fragile or frail. He didn’t yield to doubting God or collapse under the pressure of needing an heir. By this time, Abraham had walked with God for many years, so

“against all hope, Abraham in hope believed…” (Romans 4:18). 

Against…ALL…hope. 

Abraham’s faith had been enlarged through years of shepherding in desolate places while waiting on the fulfillment of God’s promises. He understood that God, being righteous and holy, was bound by His very nature to keep His promises. Psalm 23:4 speaks to such times of waiting and hardship.

“Even when I walk through the darkest valley, 

I will not be afraid, 

for you are close beside me.” (NLT)

The darkest valleys are places we’re walking through. They are temporary. God will not abandon us there. He walks close beside us even when He seems to have deserted us. He does see. He does hear.

He does know what we are experiencing and has promised to rescue us when we cry out. We know that in life, we will experience dark, dry seasons. We can also be reassured, however, that God will always bring us out. These promises to us are written in Scripture. We can turn to them whenever we find our faith wavering!

Read the following 7 scriptures this week and meditate on the faithfulness of God toward his children.

• Nehemiah 9
• Psalm 34:18
• Psalm 50:15
• Isaiah 59:1
• Psalm 107:19
• Isaiah 43:18-19
• 1 Peter 1:3-9

Be reassured that He is a true Father who takes care of His children. Allow Him to build up your faith and be encouraged that you are not forgotten!   Let's pray:

"Heavenly Father, you know the trials I’m facing and how I long to be delivered from them. Lord, I’m battle-weary. I know you are allowing this trial, but that doesn’t help me feel better. Help me to persevere and to wait on you, but to wait well—to wait believing in your goodness and faithfulness! I truly love you, Lord, and place myself in your hands this day. Thank you or loving me more than I can ever comprehend and for knowing how to help me. Amen."

Click HERE to listen to "Never Forsaken" by Hillsong Worship