Forsaken?

The story is told of a young Native American boy who, in order to become a man in the eyes of his people, had to spend a night in the woods blindfolded.

If he survived the night, he would be considered a man.

So, the father took the young boy to the woods, placed him on a tree stump, blindfolded him, and then left. Or so the boy thought.

After a terrifying night in the dark, the young boy was surprised when at daylight, he removed the blindfold and found his father sitting a short distance away.

The boy thought he had been forsaken, but he had not.

Jesus, on the cross, cried out to His heavenly Father in His own darkness. Feeling forsaken and suffering the deepest gloom, Christ felt the heavy weight of our sins crushing Him. But the Father was never far from the Son. Although His presence remained veiled, He felt His Son’s suffering. Like the father of the young Native American boy, God knew this trial must be borne by His Son alone. How incredible that both these stories did not end in darkness! As the daylight breaks anew for the young boy, he finds he has passed the test.

Christ, on the cross, endures overwhelming darkness.

And when He cries, “It is finished,” He, too, has passed the test! Sometimes we may be enshrouded in our own darkness due to illness, financial problems, the death of a loved one, the wanderings of our children, or false accusations that threaten to ruin our lives. The list goes on. The darkness is real, but so is the presence of the Father.

He can support us through the darkness because He is right there with us. At times, His face is veiled, or we are “blindfolded,” but that does not matter.

We are not abandoned. We are not forsaken.

The Father will see us through.

My husband unexpectedly passed after a brief bout with COVID-19.

It was a shock to all of us. He had been so healthy, so alive.

And then he was gone. Life changed drastically for me that day.

Since then, there have been times when I have felt shrouded in the darkness of sorrow. But I know my Father has not forsaken me. He sees me through one day at a time. And I know He can see you through, too, no matter what darkness may be threatening to engulf you. “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning” (Psalm 30:5, KJV). We are not forsaken!

Sharon Clark