By: Rey Oliver Fabros

READ MATTHEW 6:26

My high school friend came to me and asked, “Aren't you going to grab lunch?”

I smiled and answered, “No, I'm good, thank you.”

This was one of the most common lies I told when I was in High School. During lunch time, I used to hide from my classmates. I looked for a spot where no one could find me. I didn’t want them to know that I was in fact starving already. My allowance was just enough to get me either lunch or snacks. I had to make tough decisions every day. I had to choose whether to get snacks or lunch, day to day. It was really hard. I was so hungry. Adding to challenges at meal times, I had another daily fear. After a tiring day in school, if only few passengers were left heading to our town, drivers would cut their trip. That would leave me no choice but to walk to our town in the early evening. Since I only had an exact allowance to get me to school, for lunch, and fare back home, I didn’t have enough coins to pay for another trip. I remember the day when I walked 4 kilometers home.

Life wasn’t fair. We didn’t have enough for daily needs. My siblings and I struggled to have an allowance. My parents were both serving as ministers at the church. I had a lot of questions. Deep inside me was the gnawing question, “Are they really serving a living God? If yes, then why are we suffering?”

Matthew 6:26, Jesus gives emphasis to our worth as His children. By feeding the birds, he gives us assurance that He will also provide for us. God has never abandoned us; not for one single second. He sees our struggles and knows what is going on with His servant’s lives. I don’t know what my parents were thinking during those times of struggle, but I believe that they trusted God and prayed a lot for us to finish our education and have a good life. Without these experiences, I would never see and feel God’s faithfulness through the years and I would never be a missionary today, telling people to trust God because He is a living God.

Many of you may feel the same or have had similar experiences. Maybe you join me from time to time with the question, “Has God abandoned me?” Yet, now that I remember those times, I realize that God never abandoned me! He challenged me; I fought to be my best and those were just times of preparation. The hard times I never thought I’d overcome are now happy thoughts that give me motivation. God has plans for us. It may not be the way we have dreamed, but certainly the plans will be cherished when we reach the other side and succeed.

DISCUSSION QUESTION:

What are the moments of your life that you felt God has abandoned you but later, you realized that He is with you thoughout the journey?