Feeling Abandoned in Midst of Suffering

Have you ever felt God has forsaken you?

Have you ever questioned God’s presence?

Have you ever felt God has deserted you in times of suffering?

So did David, so have I, and so have many other believers.

While serving God and working for His kingdom, there are moments when we will have to wait on God while going through trials and hardships. At such times, we question God’s presence in our lives and wonder if He has abandoned us.

This natural response to suffering is often expressed in the Psalms. The Book of Psalms expresses a range of emotions – praise, thanksgiving, lament, anger, and supplication. This article focuses on Psalm 22, which describes the agony of one who feels abandoned by God during great suffering.

Psalms 22 begins with these words:

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?”

The Psalmist describes his anguish in detail, including physical pain, emotional distress, and the feeling of being surrounded by enemies. He further writes about being scorned, despised, mocked, and hated by men. He compares himself to a worm, which can easily be crushed. He feels abandoned and alone. He does not understand why God is not answering even when he cries out (verse 2: “My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest”).

Although he feels abandoned by God in his suffering, yet the Psalmist does not lose faith and hope in his God. In verses 3 – 5, he acknowledges God’s faithfulness to his people in the past, and cries out for God’s help and protection in verse 19. He knows God will never forsake him and has heard his cry for help.

“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.” (Psalms 22:24).

Often, while ministering, we may be faced with a situation similar to the Psalmist in chapter 22. Sometimes God does not answer our suffering immediately. He answers when the time is right. Waiting for God’s answers can be difficult. We are tempted to believe God has abandoned us.

But we must remember that even though we may not understand why we are going through difficult times, God has a plan and a purpose for those times. It can be hard to see God’s hand at work, and it can be easy to feel like He has abandoned us. However, it is important to remember God is always with us, even when we cannot feel His presence. He promises never to leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5), and we can trust in His faithfulness even when we don’t understand what is happening around us.

Psalms 22 reminds us that trials and sufferings are inevitable in our journey of faith. The same Psalm reminds us we can find comfort and strength by turning to God in prayer. We can pour out our hearts to Him and trust that He hears and cares for us. Let us remember He is always with us. The Psalmist’s journey from lament to hope is a testament to the power of faith in God to sustain us through even the most difficult of circumstances.