Abandonment is one of the loneliest feelings a person can carry. Whether a spouse walked away, children grew distant, a friend disappeared in a season when you needed them most, or the silence in your home has become deafening — the feeling that you have been left is real, and it cuts deeply.
You may have looked around at what remains of what once was full and felt the weight of all that is gone. The voices. The presence. The belonging. And in that emptiness, a question forms that is almost too painful to speak aloud: Has God left too?
He has not. His Word answers that question with one of the most emphatic promises in all of Scripture — and He wants you to hear it before you read another word on this page. You are not abandoned. You are not forgotten. And you are not alone.
Foundation Scripture
“For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’”
— Hebrews 13:5
In the original language this promise uses a double negative for absolute emphasis — He will never, under any circumstance, leave or forsake you. Not when others have. Not when the house is empty. Not today.
A Word from Dick Mills
From his written ministry to those who feel deserted — his own words, written for exactly where you are
A Word from the Lord for the Deserted
“When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up.” (Psalm 27:10)
I look upon you, and see the abrupt changes which have come to you.
Once you had a family; now your family is gone.
Once there was a happy scene under your roof; now you are sitting alone, as one abandoned and rejected.
Once your loved ones were gathered about you; now they are scattered and separated from you.
Once your home was a place of tranquility and peace; now it is a place of loneliness and silence.
Your heart is grief-stricken. Your thoughts are anguished. Your future seems bleak, without attraction. You are overwhelmed with grief and mourning.
These are My words to you: When your father and your mother forsake you — or a husband — or a wife — or a son — or a daughter — then I will take you up.
Am I not better than life itself? Are not My ways better than your ways? Are not My thoughts higher than your thoughts? Are not My dealings better than human dealings?
In your grief, and in your anguish, throw yourself upon My mercy.
I will take you up.
I will sustain you.
I will protect you.
I will love you.
I will comfort you.
You will find a constant Friend in Me. I will be closer to you than any brother. You can rely on My promises:
I will never leave you.
I will never forsake you.
I will be better to you than a husband or wife.
I will be better to you than a son or daughter.
Encourage yourself by looking to Me. I promise to sustain you. I will be your dearest Friend.
“He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.” (Psalm 147:3)
God Will Never Leave You
Deuteronomy 31:6
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”
His Promise
He goes with you — into the empty house, into tomorrow, into every place where the absence is loudest. Never leave. Never forsake. Both are promised, together, without qualification.
Matthew 28:20
“And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
His Promise
Always. Not sometimes, not when circumstances are favorable, not when you have earned it. Always — to the very end of the age. This is Jesus’ own promise, spoken as His final words before ascending. He meant it to last.
Isaiah 41:10
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
His Promise
He meets the fear that abandonment produces — I am with you — and then He goes further: I will strengthen, I will help, I will uphold. He does not simply observe the empty place beside you. He fills it.
Psalm 46:1
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
His Promise
Very present — not distant, not available upon request, not on the periphery of your situation. He is very present. Right here. In this. He is your refuge when the home that was meant to be one no longer is.
John 14:18
“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”
His Promise
Orphaned is exactly the feeling abandonment produces — left without covering, without belonging, without someone to come home to. Jesus speaks directly to that feeling: I will come to you. He does not leave those who are abandoned to face it alone.
When Everyone Else Has Left
Psalm 27:10
“When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me.”
His Promise
The psalmist names the deepest possible abandonment — a parent’s desertion — and places God’s taking care as the answer. Dick Mills built his devotional around this very verse. When everyone else has left, God takes you up. He did it for others. He does it for you.
Isaiah 49:15–16
“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands.”
His Promise
God names the most unthinkable abandonment — a mother forgetting her nursing child — and says: even if that happened, I would not forget you. Your name is engraved on His hands. Permanently. He cannot look at His own hands without seeing you.
Psalm 139:7–10
“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence?…Even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.”
His Promise
There is no place so empty, so silent, so desolate that His presence cannot reach. Wherever abandonment has taken you — even there, His hand leads and His right hand holds. No place is beyond Him.
Romans 8:35–39
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?…Neither death nor life…nor any powers…nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
His Promise
The list Paul writes is exhaustive by design — covering every imaginable category of separation. Nothing. Not abandonment by a spouse, not distance from children, not the silence of an empty house. Nothing can separate you from this love.
His Presence Goes With You
“My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
— Exodus 33:14
Into the empty house. Into tomorrow. Into every place the abandonment has taken you. His presence goes with you — and He gives rest to those who are worn out from the weight of being left.
When God Feels Silent or Distant
When You Cannot Feel His Presence
There are seasons when God seems distant — when prayer feels like it reaches the ceiling and no further, when the silence in your heart mirrors the silence in your home. Scripture does not hide from this reality. The psalms are full of it.
But feelings — as real as they are — are not always the full story. There are times when we feel alone while God is faithfully present. His promise is not based on how we feel. It is based on His unchanging character. He said He would never leave. That word stands regardless of what the silence feels like.
Psalm 13:1
“How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?”
His Promise
David expressed exactly this feeling — and God included it in Scripture. It means honest prayer about feeling forgotten is welcome. You are allowed to bring the feeling to God, just as David did. He receives it.
Psalm 22:1
“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
His Promise
These words were spoken by Jesus on the cross — the Son of God fully entering the experience of abandonment so that no one who comes after Him would face it truly alone. He knows this feeling from the inside. And even in that moment, He still said: My God. Trust remained.
Lamentations 3:21–24
“Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”
His Promise
Jeremiah intentionally turned his thoughts back to God’s faithfulness in the middle of devastation. This I call to mind. It was a deliberate choice that produced hope. You can make that same choice today — call His faithfulness to mind.
Isaiah 43:2
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.”
His Promise
God does not always promise you will avoid the waters. He promises His presence in them. The season of abandonment is a water you are passing through — and He is with you in the passing.
God Walks With You
Psalm 23:4
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”
His Promise
The valley of abandonment is one of life’s deepest. He does not promise to lift you out of it immediately — He promises to walk through it beside you. The Shepherd is present in every valley, every step.
Deuteronomy 31:8
“The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
His Promise
He goes before you — into tomorrow, into the decisions ahead, into the future that now looks so different from what you planned. He is already there. And He walks beside you as you arrive.
Joshua 1:9
“Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
His Promise
Wherever you go. Into the difficult morning. Into the first holiday alone. Into the places where absence is loudest. The Lord your God is already there, and He stays.
Hope for Tomorrow
Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
His Promise
The abandonment has rewritten what you thought your future would look like. But God’s plans for your future have not changed. He declares hope and a future over your life — and He does not retract that declaration because of what someone else chose.
Romans 15:13
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
His Promise
Overflowing hope — not just surviving the abandonment but overflowing — is what the Holy Spirit makes available as you trust God. He is the God of hope, which means hope is always present wherever He is, even in the emptiest seasons.
Isaiah 40:31
“Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
His Promise
The exhaustion of abandonment is real. Waiting on God in that exhaustion is where strength is renewed — not earned, not manufactured, but received from Him. New strength is available for those who wait on the Lord.
Psalm 34:18
“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
His Promise
Near to the brokenhearted — not at a comfortable distance, not approaching eventually. Near. Now. The crushed spirit of abandonment is exactly where He draws closest. He is near to you today.
Hebrews 10:23
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”
His Promise
Hold fast — not because the pain is not real, but because He who promised is faithful. Human faithfulness failed you. His has not and will not. His promise stands on His character, not on circumstances.
God’s Protocol — What Do I Do When I Feel Abandoned?
These are not steps to earn God’s presence — He is already present. These are ways to receive what He has already given.
Tell God Honestly How You Feel
The psalms show us that God welcomes honest prayer. David said “How long, O Lord?” Jesus said “Why have You forsaken Me?” You can tell God that you feel abandoned — He receives that prayer and He does not flinch from it.
Remember That Feelings Are Real but Not Always the Whole Story
There are seasons when we feel alone while God is faithfully present. His presence is not dependent on your ability to sense it. He promised He would stay — and He does not break promises.
Read His Promises Aloud
When abandonment speaks loudly, speak His Word louder. Read these scriptures aloud — not as a ritual but as an act of faith that invites truth into the place where the lie of abandonment has been living.
Stay Connected to the Body of Christ
Isolation deepens the feeling of abandonment. God often encourages us through other believers — through a word, a presence, a meal, a phone call. Let His people be part of how He shows up for you in this season.
Throw Yourself Upon His Mercy
Dick Mills said it simply and perfectly: in your grief, in your anguish, throw yourself upon His mercy. Not a polished prayer. Not composure you do not have. Just the throwing — the complete entrusting of yourself to the One who promised to take you up.
Speak God’s Word Today
When abandonment says you are forgotten, speak what God says. These declarations are His Word turned into personal truth.
God has not abandoned me.
The Lord is with me wherever I go.
Nothing can separate me from His love.
God sees me, knows me, and walks beside me.
Even when I cannot feel His presence, He remains faithful.
I will trust His promises above my emotions.
The Lord will never leave me nor forsake me.
My name is engraved on the palms of His hands.
A Prayer for You
Father, I come to You from the place Dick Mills described — the once and now. There was a time when the home was full, and now it is quiet. There was a time when I was not alone, and now I am. I bring that weight to You today — not performing strength I do not have, but throwing myself upon Your mercy exactly as I am.
Your Word says You will never leave me nor forsake me. I choose to believe that today above what I feel. I choose to trust that Your presence is here even in the silence, that Your hand is holding me even when I cannot sense it, and that You are closer than the emptiness feels.
Be my dearest Friend in this season, just as You promised. Be better to me than any human relationship that has failed. Take me up — sustain me, protect me, love me, comfort me — with the faithfulness that does not depend on circumstances or on what others have chosen to do.
Give me hope for tomorrow. Let me see what You are still doing, what You still have planned, what is still ahead in the future You have declared over my life. And remind me today that my name is engraved on Your hands — that You cannot look at Your own hands without seeing me. I am not forgotten. I am not abandoned. I am Yours.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
A Good Word for You
There are seasons in life when loneliness can become overwhelming. You may wonder if anyone truly understands what you are carrying or whether God has heard your prayers. When people leave, relationships change, or life takes an unexpected turn, it is easy to believe you have been forgotten.
But God’s Word tells a different story. Throughout Scripture, the Lord continually reminds His people that His presence is constant. He goes before you, walks beside you, strengthens you, and remains faithful even when circumstances seem to say otherwise. There may be moments when you cannot feel His nearness, but His promise has never depended on your feelings. It depends on His unchanging character.
Hold tightly to His Word. The God who says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you,” is walking with you today. He sees every tear, hears every prayer, and remains closer than you can imagine. You are not forgotten. You are not abandoned. You are deeply loved by the One who will never let you go.
Carry This Promise With You Today
“For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’”