When You Feel Forsaken by God

Have you ever felt "forsaken by God"? It is a time when painful events continue, and it seems as though God will never answer your prayers or come to your aid.

I recently heard that several acquaintances of mine are going through very difficult times. Even if they haven't gone so far as to say they feel "forsaken by God," it is certain that they are feeling quite distressed.

The words, "Your wound is as deep as the sea; who can heal you?" appear in the Old Testament book of Lamentations (2:13). Since God has the power to do so, I can only pray that He will touch each of their lives and bring them healing.

Lamentations, said to be written by the prophet Jeremiah, is, as the name suggests, a song of sorrow, containing words that lament tragic situations such as the Babylonian captivity (forced migration to the Babylonian region) and the destruction of the nation.

In the midst of such suffering, chapter 3 is scattered with words of hope, like a ray of light shining into the darkness, which encourages my heart every time I read it.

I would like to introduce some of them, but first, from Jeremiah's lament. (All Bible verses quoted in this article are from the New Japanese Bible, 3rd Edition.)

Although Jeremiah felt that way, he remembers something important.

For him, the most important thing was not the many blessings, but the presence of the Lord Himself.

In other words, even if he was surrounded by great problems, if the Lord was with him, that was more than enough for him.

Those who see the Lord in this way know that no matter how difficult the situation, the Lord is good, and He will support, help, encourage, and comfort those who wait for Him.

It is easier to grumble, worry, or run around trying to fix things on our own than it is to wait patiently for God's help.

While it can be difficult to trust and wait, believing that God is doing the necessary work out of our sight, I believe it is a very important thing to do.

When we focus only on our circumstances, we may feel as though we have been forsaken by God, but when we realize that God is near, our fears will fade away.

There is a faithful love that never leaves us and never forsakes us, no matter the circumstances.

When you feel as though you have been forgotten by God, may you be able to hold onto hope by trusting in the love of a God who cares for you so deeply that He has engraved you on the palms of His hands.