Abandoned by my God?

“My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?
Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning. O my God, I cry by day, but You do not answer;
And by night, but I have no rest” (Psalm 22:1-2 NAS95).

It is an absolute, undeniable, incontestable, irrefutable and unequivocal fact that God will never abandon nor forsake those He has chosen in His Son (Hebrews 13:5), and I am also certain, sure, positive, convinced, assured and confident that nothing can separate the believers from their God-Savior,’s love, nor tribulation, nor distress, nor persecution, nor famine, nor nakedness, nor peril, nor sword, absolutely nothing (Romans 8:35-36, 39). However, our spiritual experience can and will feel completely different to the truth the Bible declares. Many a time believers have felt abandoned, forsaken, left alone and behind by God when tribulations, distresses, persecutions, famines, nakedness, perils and/or swords have invaded their lives. I can name several biblical characters who had this experience, even our own Lord and Savior had to live this feeling of Divine abandonment as the true High Priest of God, so He might be able to save those who in drawing near to His Father would have to undergo this experience (Hebrews 7:25).

Psalm 22 is a very intense biblical passage. The human emotions felt by the writer are raw in nature. The surprising detail is that this psalm is a direct fulfillment of the life of the Messiah, specifically of His passion and subsequent resurrection. In my walk with God, I have had to relive this psalm, this experience, of my Savior as well. I must declare in all honesty that my reaction has not been even that close as David’s, let alone my Lord’s. As a matter of fact, my reaction has been as Asaph in Psalms 73 and 77: judgmental, lacking trust in God, telling God that my way and wisdom are better, criticizing God for His government in human affairs, and many other not so godly emotions. I also confess that this feeling of Divine abandonment when experiencing hardships in life is not a good feeling at all, specially when one has put all his confidence and hope in the God of his salvation. I understand that God’s ways and thoughts are not like mine, but higher, better, complex, good and holy (Isaiah 55:8-9), and that entering Jesus’ kingdom requires the suffering of many tribulations (Acts 14:22) here on this Earth, yet how horrible it is to feel abandoned by God! How difficult it is to keep the faith in the face of unimaginable pains when one knows that God has all the power and authority to make all miseries disappear!

It is not in sinful humans to surrender their wills, ways, and lives to God as Jesus did in the garden (Matthew 26:39). No. We revolt, cry, complain that “life is not fair” and try using our human wisdom to change our unfavorable circumstances, but humbling ourselves before the Divine and Holy Being sounds like anathema-curse-to us. Yet this is exactly what the Bible commands believers to do at all times, but especially when suffering (1 Peter 5:6-7). Here God promises exaltation to those who first humble themselves before Him, and God also promises that we can unload our burdens, anxieties, pains and miseries before His presence because “He care for (us)”. Yes, it feels like God’s deliverance is far from my groaning and tears, yet I know that my Redeemer lives (Job 19:25); yes, it feels that God does not answer my prayers despite my persistence, yet I am sure that He who did not refuse His Son but deliver Him for me, the same One, my Heavenly Father, will give me all things together with Christ (Romans 8:32). Amen!