Feeling Abandoned by God? 7 Scriptures and 4 Stories to Encourage You

Inside: When you’re in a season of feeling abandoned by God, these 4 Bible stories + 7 scriptures will show you why can be sure He’s right where He’s always been—all around you!

I spent about 5 years of my life, feeling abandoned by God. No matter how much I cried out to Him for help, He never seemed to come through for me.

On top of feeling abandoned by Him, I also felt ungrateful, since my life looked great and lots of others would have loved to have it. I was genuinely blessed but I was desperately unhappy, which is why I spent what felt like most of my time begging God to help me.

I also felt confused about why God wasn’t answering my desperate prayers. Was I doing it wrong? Was I asking for the wrong thing? How could I be, when I’d abandoned my will to His?

Maybe I wasn’t special to God, the way I had thought I was. Maybe He had more important things to handle than my first-world problems. Or maybe He didn’t love me after all.

Maybe, maybe, maybe.

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Why Do I Feel Abandoned by God?

Is this where you are now? If you are, who can blame you for feeling abandoned by God? After all, you’ve been crying out to Him about your unhappiness for what feels like forever because of:

• The work misery and struggles you just can’t shake, no matter how much willpower you call on.
• Wondering how to know what your calling is from God, especially since you’ve searched high and low but still can’t find it.
• Your tension-fraught relationship, where your partner turns everything around on you.
• Wondering if God loves you despite your sins, which you can’t seem to shake even though they’re stabbing at your conscience.
• Feeling like you just can’t do this anymore, exhausted, unhappy, and feeling unworthy in your own life.

Perhaps as I did, you’ve been crying out to God for help with any or all of it. But He seems deafeningly silent, which is why you’re now wondering, “Why has God forsaken me?”

Yes, you may understandably feel like God has abandoned you. But as it turns out, He hasn’t.

4 Bible Characters Who Felt Abandoned by God

If you’re wondering who in the Bible felt abandoned by God, you’re in good company. While there are also lots of stories in the Bible about God’s people abandoning Him, you can also find some big-name Bible characters who felt abandoned by God.

Let’s look at four of these to see how they handled feeling abandoned by God.

Jesus Christ Felt Abandoned by God

If you’ve ever read the account of Jesus’ crucifixion, then you’re familiar with His agony and feeling like God had abandoned Him.

About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Elí, Elí, lemá sabachtháni?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

Matthew 27:46 (CSB)

Imagine the pain and horror of what Jesus was going through: taking on the weight of the world’s sins; separation from God because of those sins; the absence of His love and mercy; and complete and utter aloneness. Of course, Jesus felt abandoned by His Father.

But Jesus had to go through feeling abandoned by God if He was going to willingly pay the price for your sins. This meant receiving the full force of God’s wrath—the necessary justice for repayment of sin—so you wouldn’t have to.

Then on the other side of the cross, Jesus took up His rightful place at the right hand of God. But not before sending His Holy Spirit for you.

And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever—The Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive (welcome, take to its heart), because it does not see Him or know and recognize Him. But you know and recognize Him, for He lives with you [constantly] and will be in you.

John 14:16-17 (AMPC)

This means no matter how much you’re feeling abandoned by God right now, you aren’t. As a born-again believer in Jesus Christ, God’s Holy Spirit is always with you and never abandons you.

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David Felt Abandoned by God

Considering all the trials David went through, it’s not surprising that he didn’t escape feeling abandoned by God.

Long enough, God—you’ve ignored me long enough. I’ve looked at the back of your head long enough. Long enough I’ve carried this ton of trouble, lived with a stomach full of pain. Long enough my arrogant enemies have looked down their noses at me.

Psalm 13:1-2 (MSG)

Who can blame David? After being anointed king of Israel, he spent years running for his life from Saul, who was crazed with jealousy…or just plain crazy. Hiding in caves, exchanging his protection services for food, David even acted crazy himself in order to avoid death.

But David talked it out with God, sharing his confusion and pain over what felt like God’s abandonment. Then he asked God for what he wanted. Yup, He prayed to the same God who he felt was ignoring him.

Take a good look at me, God, my God; I want to look life in the eye, so no enemy can get the best of me or laugh when I fall on my face.

Psalm 13:3-4 (MSG)

Then David shored up his faith and thanked God for the help he knew was on the way.

I’ve thrown myself headlong into your arms—I’m celebrating your rescue. I’m singing at the top of my lungs, I’m so full of answered prayers.

Psalm 13:5-6 (MSG)

How could David simply go from feeling abandoned by God to asking for what he wanted to praising God for answered prayers?

Because David knew a secret: God is always reliable but your fickle feelings aren’t.

My darling, just because you’re feeling abandoned by God doesn’t mean your feelings are true. In fact, your feelings are deceiving you.

Naomi Felt like God Had Forsaken Her

So there’s Naomi living in Moab, having moved there with her husband and two sons because of a famine in Israel. Then tragedy strikes; her husband dies then her 2 sons die and she’s left alone in a strange land with only her daughters-in-law.

In her grief, Naomi not only felt abandoned by God but she also felt like He was persecuting her.

No, my daughters, my life is much too bitter for you to share, because the Lord’s hand has turned against me.

Ruth 1:13b (CSB)

Like Naomi, when life hits you hard, it’s easy to think, “God has abandoned me! How could He?”

You see, it’s easy to forget you live in a fallen world swarming with sin, disease, and tragedy. And the truth is, you’re generally OK with that…until sin, disease, or tragedy strikes too close to home.

Then you lash out against God because you feel entitled to be exempt from life’s blows. And because He didn’t spare you the pain of what you’re going through, you question His goodness and sovereignty and blame Him for your problems.

“Don’t call me Naomi,” she responded. “Instead, call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me home empty. Why call me Naomi when the Lord has caused me to suffer and the Almighty has sent such tragedy upon me?”

Ruth 1:20-21 (NLT)

God eventually blessed Naomi with a grandson through Ruth, but you never hear an account of Naomi thanking God for her blessing. She was quick with the blame and slow with the praise.

Unlike Job, who said:

“The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Job 1:21 (ESV)

Job Could Have Felt like God Abandoned Him

Speaking of Job, he for sure was one person who had the right to feel abandoned by God. Job’s life was great until suddenly, it wasn’t. Talk about a reversal of fortunes! He lost everything except his wife and his life.

With his ten children dead and his wealth gone, Job should have been wallowing in feeling abandoned by God. In fact, Job looked for God everywhere but couldn’t find Him.

If I go east, he is not there, and if I go west, I cannot perceive him. When he is at work to the north, I cannot see him; when he turns south, I cannot find him.

Job 23:8-9 (CSB)

I’m sure you can relate. So you could understand if Job’s next words were, “I feel like God has abandoned me!” You could, without a doubt, sympathize if he went on to rail against God’s unfairness in abandoning Him.

But he didn’t. One verse later, Job said:

But He knows the way that I take [He has concern for it, appreciates, and pays attention to it]. When He has tried me, I shall come forth as refined gold [pure and luminous].

Job 23:10 (AMPC)

Job was confused—and perhaps hurt—by what looked on the surface like God had abandoned him. And he expressed his feelings with honesty and sincerity.

But then he circled right back around to stating the truth his feelings were trying to eclipse: God was still watching over him and he would be even better off for coming through this painful, confusing trial.

7 Bible Verses When You Feel Abandoned by God

Even though you now know in your head that God hasn’t abandoned you, your fickle feelings may lead you down the same road again.

When you notice this happening, let God’s word remind you of His constant presence and grace.

1. My adversaries taunt me, as if crushing my bones, while all day long they say to me, “Where is your God?” Why, my soul, are you so dejected? Why are you in such turmoil? Put your hope in God, for I will still praise him, my Savior and my God. Psalm 42:10-11 (CSB)

2. Be strong and courageous; don’t be terrified or afraid of them. For the Lord your God is the one who will go with you; he will not leave you or abandon you. Deuteronomy 31:6 (CSB)

3. Those who know your name trust in you because you have not abandoned those who seek you, Lord. Psalm 9:10 (CSB)

4. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39 (CSB)

5. Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. Isaiah 41:10 (CSB)

6. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. Psalm 34:18 (CSB)

7. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Matthew 28:20 (CSB)

An Encouraging Reminder When You’re Feeling Abandoned by God

For five years, I felt abandoned by God, ungrateful for feeling that way in the middle of my blessed life, and confused about why He wasn’t answering my prayers.

I wondered if maybe God had abandoned me. And I wondered if maybe I was praying wrong or asking for the wrong things. Why didn’t God save me when I was sure I’d surrendered my will to Him? Wasn’t I important enough to Him? Weren’t my problems important to God?

Meanwhile, ironically, God was trying to get my attention in countless ways. And I kept missing Him, thinking He’d abandoned me.

Years on the other side of this painful period, I now know the truth David, Job, and Jesus were in on: God never abandons you.

Never.

Why would He, after sacrificing His only Son to save your soul?

The hard times feel terrible but they’re not God’s fault. We live in a fallen world and terrible things happen to everyone, without exemption.

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So instead of blaming God and accusing Him of abandoning you—like Naomi did—cling to Him. Draw on His matchless, limitless strength to make it through the refining fire of your tough times. Then, like Job, you’ll come out with faith like pure gold. No maybe about it.

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