6 Promises for When You Feel Abandoned by God
“I feel like I’ve been abandoned by God,” my friend whispers through tears as we sit by the creek and watch flies rise from the water.
She’s been in a tough season, and I tell her I can relate. Fifteen years ago, I uttered the same words. Since that time, I’ve uncovered a few valuable lessons about God and life. I share from my heart as the sycamores lean in with listening ears.
I don’t know if she feels encouraged as we leave the water, but I pray she finds the faith to keep walking with God.
When You Feel Abandoned by God
Later that afternoon, my little boy stirs from his nap with red eyes. We descend to the living room and watch blue jays on the lawn. We’re lost in the reverie of the natural world when Daddy’s white truck pulls into the driveway. Sweet Caleb is off my lap in seconds. He waves at the window with ferocity, and I smile at his love.
After the welcome hugs and cheers, I kiss the guys goodbye and slip into my walking shoes for a little bit of time out of the house. Like clockwork, Caleb erupts into primal screams. “No! Don’t leave me, Mama,” he yells. “Don’t leave me!”
“I’ll be back in a half-hour,” I assure him, but he’ll have none of it.
I come back from every walk, and yet he fears this might be the one time when I abandon him. I kiss him on the head again and leave, despite the crying. It’s best to just get on with it.
Walking down the road, I’m struck by the parallels between my son’s thoughts and my own thoughts. I recall a dozen times when it felt like the Lord had completely forsaken me: that race I lost, that bad breakup, Bekah’s medical condition, forty weeks of sickness, the day the car broke down at the bridal shop with my baby girl screaming in the backseat, and more.
Things don’t go my way, and I doubt God.
I think long on this as I walk, and I list the promises for the times when I feel abandoned by God:
Six Promises for When You Feel Abandoned by God
1. You are not abandoned by God because he holds the power to use this for good.
No matter how alone you feel, no matter how low this valley has taken you, God can use it. Here is your promise:
God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28).
2. Nothing can separate you from the Lord’s love.
Romans 8 reminds us that no power in the world can separate us from the love of God:
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord(Romans 8:38-39).
3. No flood is too high, no river is too deep, no fire is too hot for God to carry you through.
Read this promise to God’s people from the prophet Isaiah and claim it for your life today:
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they will not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched,
Nor will the flame burn you. (Isaiah 43:2).
4. Your Heavenly Father is not holding out on you.
Do you ever feel like God is withholding his best from you? You can cling to this promise from Psalm 84:11:
For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord gives grace and glory;
No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
5. The Lord is near when your heart is broken.
It’s not easy to walk through a valley of horrible pain without a sense of God’s presence. In these moments, we cling to what is true instead of clinging to what we feel. And this is what is true: God is close to those who are brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18).
6. Regardless of whether you feel God’s love, it was already proven.
It’s easy to feel like God has abandoned us when we don’t sense his loving presence. May we remember that his love is not merely something we feel. God proved his love at the cross. You might not always feel God’s love. But his love remains, regardless of your feelings. Here is your promise: But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
You might not always feel God's love. But his love remains, regardless of your feelings. #Godislove #loveofGod #encounteringGod Share on XSometimes I live like I don’t believe God’s promises. I live like they count for others but not for me.
What if I lived like I fully believed every word that proceeds from his mouth?
I would have less fear and a greater capacity to love. I’d give freely and store up fewer treasures on earth. I would encounter an abundant kind of life that I’ve been craving all along.
Returning home, Caleb has forgotten about the missing me. He’s chasing his dad around the yard with delighted squeals. I watch from the deck while the sun sinks low and the sky proclaims the glory of the One who will never leave me.
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Calling all moms and daughters—and parents of boys!
As the parent of two sons and a daughter, I have a heart for helping parents develop deeper relationships with their children and with God. Our kids, ages 6, 11, and 14, share this vision. They have helped me write three family devotionals for parents or grandparents to read with the children they care about.
God’s Warrior: Devotions for Boys Who Want to Grow in Courage and Strength is for boys ages 5-13. Now, more than ever, our world needs men who are willing to courageously carry God’s love into the world. Written with input from our two young sons, Aiden and Caleb, ages six and eleven, this book will help the boys you care about find courage and strength in God. Find this life-changing devotional book here.
Devotionals for Girls
Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section for moms and daughters after each devotion. I wrote this book with the help of our daughter, Bekah, when she was eleven. Find this one-of-a-kind shared devotional here.
Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, sexuality, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. Bekah and I will help you right here.
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