A few years ago, as a group of brethren were traveling to visit one of the members at home, they stopped at a mountain overlook to get a view of the city below. As they departed, each group thought that the other one had one of the children in their car. One might say that the child was overlooked at the overlook. That poor child must have felt stranded, abandoned or deserted for a few brief moments.
Several of us have probably been stranded at an airport or in a snow storm, but we were neither abandoned nor deserted, merely put in a helpless condition temporarily. Now and then a report that a newborn baby has been abandoned will make the news. The baby has been forsaken and utterly deserted. The dictionary says that to desert is to withdraw from without intending to return; to leave at a time of need. All too often we hear of heartbreaking stories of a parent who deserts a family during a time of stress or crisis.
Jesus Christ our Savior knew all too well the feeling of desertion. Shortly before His crucifixion He said to His apostles, I will not leave you as orphans…” (Jo 14:18) yet He Himself was deserted by all those same apostles at His arrest (Mt 26:56). He promised to send the Holy Spirit of truth, the Counselor, to live in them forever (Jo 14:16-17). He was not deserting them, rather He was giving them a Comforter to strengthen them (Eph 3:16) and bring to their remembrance the things He taught them (Jo 16:13-15).
The same God who first loved us, taught us how to love (1 Jo 4:19) (Jo 3:16) when, “…He poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Rom 5:5) (Acts 2:38). He has promised never to abandon, forsake nor desert His people. This proved true in the Old Testament times (1Ki 6:13) (Ne 9:19) (Ps 16:10), in the first church in the New Testament (2 Cor 4:8-9) and for Christians today. God has said, “…never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” and will always love and console those who have been deserted by humans in this life (Mt 11:28-30). Knowing this we can confidently follow the example set by the Apostle Paul (Php 3:12-15) as we also, “…press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me (us also) heavenward in Christ Jesus .”
Jim Bailey
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