Have you ever felt that God has abandoned you? Have you ever asked yourself, “My God, where are You? Why does the Lord not answer me, not help me”. Have you ever had that feeling of abandonment, of helplessness, of being alone? The truth is, you are not alone. What is happening to you is an old evil strategy that is designed precisely to make us think that God has abandoned us.

In the previous message, we saw that one of the weapons King Sennacherib used was, “Beware lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, “The Lord will deliver us” (Isaiah 36:18). In other words, Sennacherib wanted to make the people think that God was on bad terms with them and that He was using Sennacherib precisely to teach them a lesson. This is the devil’s strategy. We know from reading the Text that, in fact, God never abandoned Hezekiah and the people. In the end, God delivered them. And this is a pattern that repeats itself in the Scriptures. Abraham, for example, also felt that God had abandoned him at some point. Abraham demanded from God the son He had promised. But God had never abandoned him.

This is an old strategy of Satan: making you think that God has abandoned you. But we see in all these stories that God never abandoned those who remained trusting in Him. And in the end, He delivered them. There are times when we feel as if God has abandoned us and it is at this time that many lose faith. They say: “It didn’t do me any good to believe. It was of no use to pray, to fast. God abandoned me. I’m going to live now as if God didn’t exist because He didn’t answer me”. And little did they know that all this was a plan from God. For, He works this way so that we come to trust Him completely (even without seeing, knowing, feeling or hearing). He’s in control and knows what he’s doing.

So, you, who are feeling abandoned, without answers, without strength, thinking that Heaven has shut down to your prayers, know that all this is a feeling, which is not in agreement with the Word. If you have been living your faith, you have been trying to live for God and it seems that He has abandoned you, don’t give in to “it seems”. Stand firm on the Word of God, because it does not pass away. Get up and cheer up. Wake up and don’t look at the situation. God is with us, so who will be against us? We will stand firm because we are in the shelter of the Most High. That has to be your faith.

Sennacherib discovered the truth. When he least expected it, the army he trusted so much dawned dead. An angel only. God called just a little angel and said, “Finish it for me.” And it was enough for Sennacherib to return to Syria and learn not to provoke the God of Israel. So rejoice! God did not forsake you. He is with you. Stand firm, ignore your feelings and move on!