Bob Tamasy
Hearing the word ‘abandoned,’ what comes to mind? Maybe a long-cherished dream being abandoned when it no longer seems attainable? Or perhaps the image of a car abandoned by its driver after it becomes stuck in a flooded roadway? Most often we think of being abandoned in a relational sense.
We might hear a disturbing report about an infant that has been abandoned. Recently I read about a baby just days old that had been left in a car seat along a busy highway. A first responder driving by saw it and immediately stopped, putting the child in his vehicle and taking it to a safe place to receive care while authorities tried to identify and locate its mother. What possesses someone to forsake their own child in such a manner?
Sadly, this isn’t the only kind of abandonment people experience. Long after memories of the ‘I do’s’ have faded, a husband abandons the wife of his youth. A father – or sometimes a mother – abandons their children, choosing instead the ‘pursuit of happiness,’ whatever they think that is. Family ties can be easily loosened for any number of reasons.
What about the BFF (best friend forever) who one day turns his or her back on us? Even in the workplace we might feel the pain of abandonment when told we’re no longer needed, forced into early retirement, or see a long-expected promotion go to someone else. We can always count on people – until we can’t.
As a consequence, many folks go through their adult years with dysfunctional attitudes toward relationships. Personal experience has taught them that ‘everlasting love’ doesn’t last as long as one might suppose. For that reason, they’re reluctant to risk long-term commitments with anyone.
Most unfortunate is how such relational trauma can affect them spiritually. When hearing a sermon about their “heavenly Father,” instead of joy they feel only cynicism. They can’t help but relate that to an earthly father who abandoned them. If God is a Father, they reason, He’s probably just like their unfaithful dad, only bigger.
Perhaps this is why God’s promise, “I will never leave you nor forsake you,” is repeated so many times in the Scriptures. He wants His children to know that no matter what, He will never abandon them.
We read this declaration in Deuteronomy 31:6, as Moses knows his time for leading the Israelites is nearing an end. Drawing from his own experience in depending on the Lord for more than 40 years, being delivered through one crisis after another, he urges them, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Moses then spoke directly to his successor, Joshua, giving him the same assurance: “The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” (Deuteronomy 31:8).
After Moses died, to make sure Joshua hadn’t quickly forgotten this message, God reaffirmed His promise: “…As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Joshua 1:5). And for emphasis, the Lord rephrased His promise as Joshua embraced the daunting task of leading the wayward Israelites: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).
We find similar assurances repeated in both the Old and New Testaments. Having experienced God being with him as a shepherd boy warding off predators, a bold warrior taking on the giant Goliath, confronting the jealous hatred of King Saul, and then facing challenges to his throne as king of Israel, David knew the Lord wouldn’t abandon him. In his best-known psalm, he wrote, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4).
As Solomon was preparing to succeed him as king, David echoed the words of Moses and others who had preceded Him: “[he] said to Solomon his son, ‘Be strong and courageous, and do it. Do not be afraid of discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will neither fail you nor forsake you before all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished’” (1 Chronicles 28:20).
Elsewhere in the Psalms we read, “…God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble” (Psalm 46:1). And the prophet Isaiah wrote often about God’s unwavering faithfulness to His people. Here are just two examples:
“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you go through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched; the flames will not set you ablaze” (Isaiah 43:2).
Just moments before ascending to heaven, Jesus Christ found it important to quell any fears of abandonment among His disciples. After giving them His commission to “go and make disciples of all nations…,” He promised, “And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).
Without question, God’s faithfulness is a major point of emphasis in the Scriptures. As it should be. In times of adversity – serious illness, family challenges, financial hardship, or other crises – we’re tempted to wonder, “Lord, are you there?”
Especially for the many who have experienced abandonment by spouses, parents, or others they had trusted, the Lord wants us to know that when He promises, “I will never leave you nor forsake you,” His ‘never’ means…never. For now – and for eternity.
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Robert J. Tamasy is a veteran journalist, former newspaper editor, and magazine editor. Bob has written, co-authored and edited more than 20 books. These include ”Marketplace Ambassadors”; “Business At Its Best: Timeless Wisdom from Proverbs for Today’s Workplace”; “Tufting Legacies,” “The Heart of Mentoring,” and “Pursuing Life With a Shepherd’s Heart.” He writes and edits a weekly business meditation, “Monday Manna,” which is translated into nearly 20 languages and distributed via email around the world by CBMC International. The address for Bob's blog is www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com. His email address is btamasy@comcast.net.