There are times in our lives when we feel like the dark clouds of life have completely absorbed us. We may experience depression or deep sadness. Feels like life has lost its meaning.
We may even feel that God is nowhere to be found. That he has abandoned us. This is a terrible place to find yourself in.
If we turn to the scriptures in the Bible, we will find comfort and peace to help us through these difficult times
. →4 Scriptures To Read When You Feel God Has Left You Or You No Longer Feel His Presence←
1. Psalm 13: 1-6 The Message Bible A David Psalm 13 1-2 Long enough, God— you’ve ignored me long enough. I’ve looked at the back of your head long enough. Long enough I’ve carried this ton of trouble, lived with a stomach full of pain. Long enough my arrogant enemies have looked down their noses at me.
3-4 Take a good look at me, God, my God; I want to look life in the eye, So no enemy can get the best of me or laugh when I fall on my face.
5-6 I’ve thrown myself headlong into your arms. I’m celebrating your rescue. I’m singing at the top of my lungs. I’m so full of answered prayers.
In vs.1-2 David cries out to God to relieve him from his pain and sorrow. He laments his condition and finally pleads with God to help him in his distress (vs. 3-4). In vs 5-6, David realizes the faithfulness of God and ends up praising him for his unfailing love.
Laments are usually in the form of:
1. A sorrowful but truthful questioning of ones condition or situation. 2. A request or plea to find relief from the situation. 3. Recognizing and praising God for all he has done and for his unfailing love.
Put more simply:
1.Questioning God
2.Requesting God’s Help
3.Trusting God’s Faithfulness
Try writing out a lament for your situation and bring it to God. Read it aloud. For references to laments, read more of David’s psalms. Many of them are in the lament form.
2. Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord goes with you, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”
This was God’s promise to Israel and Joshua as Moses commended him as their leader into the Promised Land. Moses assured the people that God would always be with them.
We can rest in the Lord knowing that through our hope and faith that God will never abandon us. Look at the what the apostle says in Hebrews 13:5. God will never leave us or forsake us.
This was not said only for spiritual Israel but for all believers. So do not let the darkness consume you or let Satan fill you with lies of God deserting you in times of need. Resist these thoughts and take them captive.
Trust in the word of God. Get to know him more deeply and intimately.
3. Romans 8:35-39 NIV 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”[a37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[b] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
What can you take from this passage that will help you understand that God would never abandon or leave you? We can know that nothing will separate us from the love of Christ because he is alive and loving us now.
Take a look at verse 34……..And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God’s chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us-is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us…..The Message Bible
He is right now interceding for us. Sticking up for us. Going right to God’s ear with our concerns. Does that sound like a God that would abandon you?
God is always present and always willing to help in our hour of need (v. 26)—that “all things work together for good for those who love God” (v. 28)—that, if God is for us, it really doesn’t matter who is against us (v. 31)—and that there is no power strong enough or circumstance dire enough to separate us from the love of God (vv. 35-39).
There have been times in my life when sin has pulled me away from the path of righteousness. I certainly felt separated from God on those occasions. But having faith in God’s word that there is “no power strong enough to separate us from his love” is a wonderful reminder of how tenderhearted and forgiving is his heart. And how he yearns for us to return to his open arms.
He will not abandon you no matter what. His heart and arms are always open to you. (See Psalm 130: 1-4). The omnipotent living God is always seeking to bring us everlasting joy.
4. Ezekiel 34:11-16 11 “‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. 12 As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. 13 I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land. 14 I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord. 16 I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.
It might help to know that God goes looking for his lost sheep (you and I). My guess he’s better able to find us than we are in finding him. So we need to be aware of his presence, to recognize that he desires having us by his side. This will build up our trust and make our sorrowful and sad days much better.
When I was in the depths of my alcoholism, I felt so unworthy of everything and everyone. I especially knew I was someone God would not want to be associated with. But I’ve come to learn that he was there those many years ago when I pleaded for the horrible lifestyle I was leading to stop. Now after 49 years of uninterrupted sobriety, I am deeply convinced he was there then and has never left me, even on my worst days.
Let him find you now
When C. S. Lewis, the well-known Christian writer lost his wife to cancer, he was quite troubled by what seemed to be the absence of God in his distress. Confused, he asked, “What can this mean? Why is He so present a commander in our time of prosperity and so very absent a help in time of trouble?”
When you are troubled by the deafening silence of God when you cry out to him for relief, it may feel like he isn’t listening. Like maybe he is not there anymore. Especially when you need him the most.
That’s when you take your concerns directly to God. Lament to him, telling him what your problems are. Don’t hold back. Then ask him to help you in restoring your faith and resolve your problems . Also share with him how grateful you are for all that he has done in your life.
Let God’s eternal love sustain you during your dark period. Remain steadfast and courageous in your struggle. Satan is alive and well and would love to keep you thinking that God has deserted you.
And persevere. Know that nothing can separate you from the love and mercy of God. That he desires to have a personal relationship with his child.
Be available
We are his sheep and sheep can be very skittish and easily scared animals. It takes a compassionate and loving shepherd to calm them. This is what we have in Jesus. A loving shepherd that will search for every last one of his lost sheep.
Here are some other scriptures that I have found most helpful in my journey. Just click on the links below:
Psalm 77:7-9 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+77%3A7-9&version=NIV
Psalm 83:1 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+83%3A1&version=NIV
Psalm 22:1 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+22%3A1&version=NIV
Finally, remember the Apostle Peter tells us that our discomfort is only temporary, only for a little while. If you pursue God’s word, he will not leave you in your distress forever.
The Sun Will Shine Again
Romans 8 38-39. My go to.my Fab.