Psalm 68:5-6 (New International Version)
5 A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
is God in his
holy dwelling.
6 God sets the lonely in families,
he leads out the
prisoners with singing;
but the
rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.
There was a man who had spent two years in Vietnam and
had barely escaped with his life. He spent all that time suffering in the most
miserable conditions imaginable. But when asked what the worse thing he had
ever suffered during his lifetime, he said this:
"I've raised my granddaughter for most of her life.
Her father moved to another state and abandoned her when she was only a few
months old. Due to a mental condition, her mother was unable to safely care for
her. One time when she was about three years old, her mother took her from us
to live with her and an excessively abusive man. We went to visit her in
another city, and when we were about to leave, she began hysterically crying,
reaching her arms out to me begging, "Papaw, please don't 'left' me!!!"
There was nothing
I could do. Her mother insisted she stay with her. My wife and I cried all the
way home, and many nights afterwards we would take turns staying up all night,
crying out to God in prayer. I would have to say THAT was the worse pain I've ever
suffered. When your (grand) child is hurting and wants to be with you and you
are forced to forsake them...that is real suffering.
There is a happy side to my story, however. Shortly after
that, she came to live with us again and we still have her. She is well
adjusted and is a perfect student in honors classes. There was another Father
who had to leave His Son for a brief period of time. His son cried out to Him
from the cross, 'My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?!' I think I know a
little about what God the Father felt at that moment when His Son Jesus needed
Him, but He had to depart as Jesus took our sins upon Himself. Sin causes so
much pain."
Perhaps it was that brief moment that Jesus knew that He
would be separated from His father that caused Him to say these things to
comfort us, as is recorded by the writer of Hebrews:
Hebrews 13:5 KJ (Emphasis mine) " Let your
conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye
have; for He hath said, I will NEVER LEAVE THEE, nor forsake thee."
Though earthly loved ones may abandon us or leave us, God
will not, no matter what the circumstances.
Some of you who are lonely and fatherless may not have a
Papaw that loves you and will care for you. Or you may have been widowed and
left alone, but we all have a Father that loves us, and who is there for us.
Dear Lord thank You for suffering as You offered Your
Son, Jesus, for our sins. Your heart must have broken when You could not reach
down to Him when He cried out to You! We praise You and thank You for being our
Father and placing us into the family of God. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
