Feeling Abandoned

Friday I told you about one of my oldest daughter's friends and the struggle she is in the midst of.  She knows she is abandoned, she is stunned by it, she is literally running for her life - and exactly where is this "God" she has tried to follow her entire life?

Well, though she can not see it, she left Him the dust back in high school.  Back then I knew she had a good heart and she loved God - I also knew that all youth will slide a bit and then swing back.  I never understood how far of a slide that was.

In Mark 15:33-41, we can find that Jesus felt abandoned by God at one point.

Jesus is hanging on the cross and He knew that God had turned away from Him because He was now baring the sin of the world, and we know that God can not look on sin without reacting poorly to it ... sigh.

Cry Out To God

Jesus said:
"Father forgive them ..."
"I thirst ..."
"Today you will be with me ... "
"Behold your son ... "
"It is finished ... "

Psalms 22 seems to foretell the story of Jesus' life.

See What God Is Doing
A new revelation
Letting something out
Breaking down barriers
End of the old order

Trust and Obey
No matter how dark things look, you have to do this!
The men ran away.
The women stayed.
The witnesses were those whom could not even testify!

*****

Run Away Bride is in her darkest hour yet.
Her world shattered.
She finds herself virtually friendless and unable to now trust.
How is she to respond when her world has collapsed?

As demonstrated by Jesus in the above passage, God is there, God is listening, we can pour our pain and heart out to Him.
We have to trust Him to take charge of what we give Him and use all to His glory (not ours!).
We have to OBEY.  Not exactly a popular term in our culture of freedom of choice.  If you are Jesus' you surrendered that freedom to Jesus!  (Tells you why christians do not look like Christians any longer!)
Fellowship (with real Christians)
Prayer (not shopping lists!)
Study (BIBLE reading and lessons)
Separation (from what drags you down!)
Accountability (help from those you can trust older than  you in the faith!)

Yeah, a very long road to walk.  Two to three years I should think, once she can turn the corner ...

And rammed home to me as I studied on this, prayed and meditated - how closely her situation parallels my own!  And, yes, the above advice applies to me as well.  And, how hard it is to turn that corner!  Prayer and study are not a problem, I think I am in good stead with God, but the rest sure is!  I have NO ONE I can trust anymore.  Those whom I used to depend on have all betrayed me, I am surrounded by christians, not Christians, and how does one separate oneself from what you know in your heart was right - yet became impossible because of others?  I have no idea.  I try to put it behind me, but I still hear the call and my heart is tugged heavily back.  No not an excuse, not even a reason, just an observation of what happens when your trust is violated and a great deal rode upon that trust ... sigh ... still standing ...