Feeling forsaken? Read this.
Our son Kedar’s 15th birthday is next month. The other day, he came into my bedroom clearly excited about its closeness. We love celebrating birthdays in the Hobbs home.
Although there isn’t a whole lot of fanfare and we keep things pretty simple, being together and celebrating the blessing of life is wonderful. Personally, I love singing the “Happy Birthday” song as the candles on the cake flicker.
However, I always get nervous about the candle wax melting all over the cake. One time, my husband Kenya and I purchased candles from the store, lit them as usual, but they burned so fast they became a melty mess. We were picking wax out of the icing and out of our teeth. It completely ruined the cake-eating experience.
Yuck!
I think we got a defective batch of candles that time.
Well, anyway, melting candles are okay, as long as they don’t melt too quickly. On the other hand, there are some things we never want to melt away.
In Psalm 22:14, David writes, “My heart has turned to wax; it has melted within me.”
What a terrible state to be in! In this psalm, David expresses how difficult it is to hold up under the pressure of being attacked and pursued by vicious foes. He feels isolated, alone, depressed and desperate for God’s help.
Like wax exposed to the heat of a flame, his courage had melted away. He feels weak, fragile and forsaken. We know this because of the question he asks in verse 1: “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning."
“When you’re going through, Satan will try to convince you that God has left you all alone. But the devil is a liar. Not only is He there, but He’s working in your favor, too!”
We find in Matthew 27:46 that Jesus repeated the words of this psalm on the cross. That verse says, "About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, 'Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?' that is, 'My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?'"
Have you been feeling forsaken and overlooked, as if your deliverance is far away? Well, you’re not alone. God sees you. He knows you. He cares about you. And He has a plan for your life.
Satan likes to tell you otherwise. But God hasn’t forsaken you now; neither will He forsake you in the future. We know this because Jesus tells us in Matthew 28:20 that He is with us always.
At the beginning of Psalm 22, though David felt down and discouraged, by verse 24, he made a sharp pivot. Instead of being sorrowful and downtrodden, he reminded himself that, despite what it looked and felt like, God never forsook him.
To remind you that you are neither forgotten nor forsaken, I’m stirring David’s words from verse 24 into your cup of inspiration. He writes, “For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.”
As you drink down the contents of your cup, know that God is listening. He has heard your cry for help. He is coming to your aid and your defense. I know it’s not easy. The road is rough. The obstacles are numerous. But don’t let your confidence melt away. God, who is an ever-present help in trouble, sees you and already has great things in the works. You will make it to the other side of this struggle.
Now let’s pray.
God, sometimes I feel discouraged and intimidated by the overwhelming obstacles and opposition life presents. In my lowest moments, it seems that I am all alone. But Your word says You will never leave nor forsake me and I believe Your word. So, no matter what it seems like, I will remain confident that You are with me, You are in control and You have an incredible plan to deliver me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
As always, thanks for reading and until next time... may today's cup of inspiration uplift, encourage, and empower you!
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