I
am the utter contempt of my neighbors
and
an object of dread to my closest friends—
those
who see me on the street flee from me.
Psalm
31:11 (NIV)
Thought
for Today: Jim had been a hardworking man, holding down multiple jobs to
support his family while also being a leader in his church. Jim was
everyone's friend, always offering a smile and a helping hand. Family and
friends would come by every day for advice or just to chat. All of that
seemed to end when Jim's secret life was exposed. You see, for many
years, while maintaining a facade of being the devoted husband, father and
church member, Jim was also leading a double life. He had met Jennifer at
work, they became close and then entangled in an affair. Jim's wife
found out and all came crashing down. Now, no one stopped by the house and he
dare not show his face in church. Alone and abandoned, Jim has nowhere to
turn.
When
I think about verse 11 of Psalm 31, I can't help but think about the enemies
inside of us. Perhaps it is lust, greed or deceit. Maybe it is
hatred or pride. All of these, when they fester inside of us, work their way
out. It could be in subtle ways, but also could be on a grander
scale. Either way, what lies in our hearts eventually will be exposed to
the light. Have you ever felt abandoned by those around you?
Perhaps avoided. Worst yet, have you ever felt abandoned by yourself,
never expecting that you would make choices that have placed you on the road
that you are now traveling?
Jesus
knew abandonment and rejection. Isaiah 53:3 tells us that He was despised
and rejected by men. Even more painful though was His abandonment by the
Father who He had known for all time. As He was about to die on the
cross, He cried out “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” translated as
"My God, My God why have your forsaken me?" Imagine the pain of
being abandoned by the One who you are one with and have been with from the beginning
of time? All of this, dear reader, for you and for me, for our sins, our
pride, our lust, our envy, our greed.
How
then should we respond? Surrender your abandonment to Him. Go to the
Lord in prayer and ask Him to forgive you and ask for healing. Only in
surrender, abandoning ourselves to Him, can we experience new life. May
you run to the Lord today and surrender. He will heal you.
Dear
Jesus, we can't even begin to imagine the depth of abandon that you felt at the
cross. Thank you for enduring that for our sake. We ask that you
forgive us for not abandoning ourselves in your grace. We ask that you
heal our broken hearts. Amen.
