Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen. (Ps. 41:13)
WHEN HEALTH AND FRIENDS desert you, remember. Remember that God is at your side. He has you and you have Him. Perhaps one of the worst feelings in the world is to feel abandoned. In this psalm, David was dealing with sickness, enemies, slander, and betrayal. All of these things often leave a person hopeless and alone. Frankly, you wonder if anyone cares. If you’ve experienced any of these snares, there is a stage when you really don’t care about what happens next.
It is in that normal moment that God will come to your side just, like He did for David, and remind you that He cares. He cares so much that He heals. He restores. He offers friendship and companionship through His Holy Spirit. Even when it seems like everything is falling apart, God’s love will gently hold you together.
What is it that God needed to teach David? Could it be the same lessons God wants to teach us? Maybe God wants us to surround those who are weak, sick, harassed, betrayed, and alone with His love. Perhaps God wants us to bless others with our support and encouragement just as He supports and encourages us. There could be another, deeper lesson, however. It might be that God is giving us a picture of Christ’s excruciating reality of betrayal through David’s experiences and words. Whatever the case, being left with despair and little hope, such abandonment is painful for even the Son of God. And just as the heavenly Father was at Jesus’ side, so is He with us regardless of our circumstances.
Put your hope in God, your Savior.
Jim Dunn is the executive director of Church Multiplication and Discipleship for The Wesleyan Church. His family resides in the Indianapolis area.
