So he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Asa and all Judah and Benjamin, hear me. The LORD is with you when you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you abandon Him, He will abandon you.” 2 Chronicles 15:2 HCSB

I never intended to have a beagle for a house pet. But my nephew had rescued a beagle and was looking for a good home for him and well you know the rest of the story. Since taking in Buddy 10 years ago, I have learned a lot about beagles. They are pack animals. They need to be with other dogs or with their humans. They don’t do well alone. They suffer separation anxiety when left alone and tend to get into all kinds of trouble. They are driven by scent and will follow a scent wherever it may lead them through whatever they have to get through or over. They are fiercely determined. They are very loveable and cute.

I have come to love these little dogs and we have since taken in another beagle and a beagle/dachshund mix. In our area, beagles are bred primarily as hunting dogs. I have learned that if a hunter gets a beagle that doesn’t perform well, he will just either shoot the dog on the spot or abandon it. Can you imagine being a pack animal and being abandoned in the woods all alone to fend for yourself?

As humans, we don’t like to feel abandoned and alone. The great thing is that God loves us so much that He never wants to abandon us and he never wants to leave us alone. No matter how badly we perform, He is faithful to forgive us (1 John 1:9). He gives do overs. He loves us enough that He sent His son to die for us (John 3:16). But if we abandon Him, then we are on our own.

We are told in Psalm 91:1-2 that if we choose to live under the protection of the Most High we will dwell in the shadow of the Almighty and the LORD will be our refuge and our fortress. In Deuteronomy 31:8 it says that “The LORD is the One who will go before you. He will be with you, He will not leave or forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged. In Isaiah 41:10 we are told  not to fear and not to be afraid for our God will strengthen us, help us and uphold us with His righteous hand. It goes on to say that He will destroy our enemies and all those that come against us. In Hebrews 13:5 we are told to be free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what we have for He Himself has said, I will never leave you or forsake you. If we love God, He will take care of all we need. We are told in Matthew 6:33 that if we put Him first and seek His righteousness that He will take care of everything else for us.

My friend if you are feeling abandoned and alone, know this. It is not God who has left you. Look at your life and you will see where you are the one who walked away. You brought yourself into this dangerous and oftentimes scary territory. I know because I’ve been there, done that and got the t-shirt. But the good news is that God is only a prayer away. If you turn to Him and humbly repent of your sins, He is faithful to forgive you. He will welcome you with open arms.

Even when we don’t perform well, or get distracted and onto the wrong scent, God will not abandon us. He will not give up on us. We can trust Him to be faithful. Turn to Him today, humble yourself, seek Him with all your heart, abandon any sinful ways and give it all over to Him. He will take good care of you. He will never leave you, nor forsake you. You can rest assured that you will never suffer being abandoned and alone.

Have a great day!