Book Excerpt: God Does Not Abandon His Children

From Charles F. Stanley's "Waiting on God"

By Charles F. Stanley
  • January 15, 2015
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You can be courageous because the Lord is with you in the darkest of times and will see you through them. It’s very important that we remember this, because when we encounter times of waiting, we often feel utterly alone and rejected. We imagine that even the Lord has abandoned us. Because of this, we assess ourselves as unworthy of anything good—even the blessings God has promised us—and figure that our worthlessness must be the reason He is tarrying and has not yet helped us.

There may be something in your life that makes you think the Father couldn’t love or bless you—perhaps it is a bad decision, remnants of past abuse, a particular failing, or an event in your past that seems insurmountable. But friend, nothing can separate you from God’s love (Rom. 8:38-39). In fact, Scripture testifies that it’s when you feel at your most unworthy and defeated that the Father is closest to you. Psalm 34:18 promises, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” God’s Word is replete with assurances that He never abandons you:

  • “The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” (Deut. 31:8)

  • “Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Josh. 1:9)

  • “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” (Isa. 41:10)

  • “ ‘They shall call His name Immanuel,’ which translated means, ‘God with us.’ ” (Matt. 1:23)

  • “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matt. 28:20)

  • “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” (John 14:8)

  • “He Himself has said, ‘I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.’ ” (Heb. 13:5)

  • And many more. In fact, if this is an area you struggle with, it may be worthwhile for you to look up: Deut. 31:6; Josh. 1:5; Ps. 23:4; Ps. 46:1011; Ps. 73:23-24; Ps. 139:7-10; Isa. 43:1-2; Jer. 15:20; Zeph. 3:17; Rom. 8:35-39; and 2 Tim. 4:16-18.

God has not and will not abandon you. He knows exactly where you are and what you are facing during this dark time and He is walking with you in it, whether you sense His presence or not. It is a fact—He is still your Protector and Provider in the midst of this situation. Therefore, whenever you begin to feel afraid, alone, rejected, unwanted, or unworthy during this season of delay, remember that the Lord is with you, He has not deserted you, and He will never forsake you.

This article is excerpted from Charles F. Stanley's Waiting on God.

Related Topics:  Gods Will  |  Gods Love  |  Patience

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Romans 8:38–39

38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,

8 The LORD is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed."

9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

10 Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'

23 BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL," which translated means, GOD WITH US."

20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

8 Philip said to Him, Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us."

5 Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,"

6 Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you."

5 No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you.

4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

10 Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

1 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!

2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.

3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.

4 The wicked are not so, But they are like chaff which the wind drives away.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish.

23 Nevertheless I am continually with You; You have taken hold of my right hand.

1 The earth is the LORD'S, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it.

2 For He has founded it upon the seas And established it upon the rivers.

3 Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? And who may stand in His holy place?

4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood And has not sworn deceitfully.

5 He shall receive a blessing from the LORD And righteousness from the God of his salvation.

6 This is the generation of those who seek Him, Who seek Your face-- even Jacob. Selah.

7 Lift up your heads, O gates, And be lifted up, O ancient doors, That the King of glory may come in!

8 Who is the King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, The LORD mighty in battle.

9 Lift up your heads, O gates, And lift them up, O ancient doors, That the King of glory may come in!

10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah.

7 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?

1 Why do You stand afar off, O LORD? Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble?

2 In pride the wicked hotly pursue the afflicted; Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised.

3 For the wicked boasts of his heart's desire, And the greedy man curses and spurns the LORD.

4 The wicked, in the haughtiness of his countenance, does not seek Him. All his thoughts are, There is no God."

5 His ways prosper at all times; Your judgments are on high, out of his sight; As for all his adversaries, he snorts at them.

6 He says to himself, I will not be moved; Throughout all generations I will not be in adversity."

7 His mouth is full of curses and deceit and oppression; Under his tongue is mischief and wickedness.

8 He sits in the lurking places of the villages; In the hiding places he kills the innocent; His eyes stealthily watch for the unfortunate.

9 He lurks in a hiding place as a lion in his lair; He lurks to catch the afflicted; He catches the afflicted when he draws him into his net.

10 He crouches, he bows down, And the unfortunate fall by his mighty ones.

11 He says to himself, God has forgotten; He has hidden His face; He will never see it."

12 Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up Your hand. Do not forget the afflicted.

13 Why has the wicked spurned God? He has said to himself, You will not require it. "

14 You have seen it, for You have beheld mischief and vexation to take it into Your hand. The unfortunate commits himself to You; You have been the helper of the orphan.

15 Break the arm of the wicked and the evildoer, Seek out his wickedness until You find none.

16 The LORD is King forever and ever; Nations have perished from His land.

17 O LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear

18 To vindicate the orphan and the oppressed, So that man who is of the earth will no longer cause terror.

1 But now, thus says the LORD, your Creator, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel, Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine!

1 The word which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

2 Now it will come about that In the last days The mountain of the house of the LORD Will be established as the chief of the mountains, And will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it.

3 And many peoples will come and say, Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; That He may teach us concerning His ways And that we may walk in His paths." For the law will go forth from Zion And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

4 And He will judge between the nations, And will render decisions for many peoples; And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they learn war.

5 Come, house of Jacob, and let us walk in the light of the LORD.

6 For You have abandoned Your people, the house of Jacob, Because they are filled with influences from the east, And they are soothsayers like the Philistines, And they strike bargains with the children of foreigners.

7 Their land has also been filled with silver and gold And there is no end to their treasures; Their land has also been filled with horses And there is no end to their chariots.

8 Their land has also been filled with idols; They worship the work of their hands, That which their fingers have made.

9 So the common man has been humbled And the man of importance has been abased, But do not forgive them.

10 Enter the rock and hide in the dust From the terror of the LORD and from the splendor of His majesty.

11 The proud look of man will be abased And the loftiness of man will be humbled, And the LORD alone will be exalted in that day.

12 For the LORD of hosts will have a day of reckoning Against everyone who is proud and lofty And against everyone who is lifted up, That he may be abased.

13 And it will be against all the cedars of Lebanon that are lofty and lifted up, Against all the oaks of Bashan,

14 Against all the lofty mountains, Against all the hills that are lifted up,

15 Against every high tower, Against every fortified wall,

16 Against all the ships of Tarshish And against all the beautiful craft.

17 The pride of man will be humbled And the loftiness of men will be abased; And the LORD alone will be exalted in that day,

18 But the idols will completely vanish.

19 Men will go into caves of the rocks And into holes of the ground Before the terror of the LORD And the splendor of His majesty, When He arises to make the earth tremble.

20 In that day men will cast away to the moles and the bats Their idols of silver and their idols of gold, Which they made for themselves to worship,

21 In order to go into the caverns of the rocks and the clefts of the cliffs Before the terror of the LORD and the splendor of His majesty, When He arises to make the earth tremble.

22 Stop regarding man, whose breath of life is in his nostrils; For why should he be esteemed?

20 Then I will make you to this people A fortified wall of bronze; And though they fight against you, They will not prevail over you; For I am with you to save you And deliver you," declares the LORD.

17 The LORD your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.

35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

16 At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them.

18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit.

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