Abandoning the One Who Rescues Us

One of the most shameful moments in my life happened when I was 18 years old. I was under a lot of pressure during this time from school, colleges, sports, and church. See, I just started living for Jesus and things were going pretty well, but the stress of trying to hold it all together was mounting up. One day my family and I were sitting under my Pawpaw’s carport, and it just seemed, in my teenage mind, that everyone was getting on to me, criticizing me, and telling me how to run my life. I got really upset and stormed off to leave. My Pawpaw, who was the kindest godliest man I have ever known, chased me down, grabbed my hand, and tried to lovingly talk some sense into me. In my fit of anger and frustration, I turned to him, yanked my arm from his hand, and cursed at him as I got in my truck. I will never live down the shame of that moment. A family, who really was trying to love on me; a Pawpaw who had poured more into my life than any other; I abandoned them because I would not be honest about what I was going through. 

I abandoned them because I would not be honest about what I was going through. 

After God brought the children of Israel into the Promised Land with Joshua, that generation died out. Notice what the writer of Judges says to us, “and they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, who had brought them out of Egypt; and they followed other gods from among the gods of the people who were all around them; and they provoked the LORD to anger” (Judges 2:12). God, who had rescued them and provided for them in every conceivable way, was abandoned by his people. The reasons for their abandoning God are numerous and ridiculous. In response to their decision to abandon him, God gave them the consequences of their desires. They took on the gods of those around them and they suffered the fate of that idolatry. They were taken captive by their enemies and instead of conquering the land, they were ruled by the people they were supposed to drive out. 

If the story were to end there it would be justice, but it does not. Thankfully God does not leave us in our sin. We read in verse 16 of Chapter 2, “Nevertheless, the LORD raised up judges who delivered them out of the hands of those who plundered them.” Even though they turned their backs on the Lord, he never abandoned them. Did he allow them to follow through on unwise and even harmful choices? Yes, he did, but he never left them. He was there for them through it all and when they were at their lowest, he was right there to rescue them. 

A few days after the awful event I pulled into the alley at my Pawpaw’s house after practice one evening. I sat in my truck for a while wondering if I should get out, what I would say, how I would act. As I walked into the back door that led to the den where he and my grandma watched tv I could not even look at him. I was so scared and embarrassed. I sat down in the chair opposite my grandma and just looked at the floor. Then he spoke. When he spoke, he did not cuss me in the manner I cussed at him. He did not berate me for my disrespect. He did not kick me out of his house. As I sat there sorrowful and shameful, my Pawpaw talked to me about how hard life can be and that he was there for me and more importantly God was there for me. He reminded me about his unconditional love for me. Then we sat there and finished up the episode of CSI. It was a great day. 

We must remember that we are God’s children and no matter what, he is there for us when we turn to him. 

So, we remember: 

1. God alone is our rescuer 

2. Sometimes we abandon him for idols 

3. God gives us the results of our sin 

4. God rescues us when we cry out to him. 

You may have times in life when you do really dumb things. You will say or do things you regret, and you can’t take them back. You may embarrass God in the worst of ways, but you know what? God will never abandon you. Through Jesus, he rescued you from the clutches of sin and death, and through Jesus, you are an eternal child of the King. You belong to God because of Jesus. 

If you are in a position where you feel you have walked away from the intimacy of Jesus, simply call out to him. He will be there to rescue you with gentleness and grace. 

In His Grace, 

BD