The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; Thy steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of Thy hands.
Psalm 133:8
Even the most devout of Christians will suffer setbacks. The journey to God’s glory will not be smooth sailing for anyone. Why? Because we are all victims of “the human condition,” which causes three things—we make bad decisions and fall prey to temptations; we are the victims of the bad decisions of others; and we have bodies that are imperfect, that break down occasionally and eventually breakdown permanently leading to our death.
We make bad decisions. No matter how hard we try, we all do. Just as God and His angels come around us to comfort and inspire us, the devil and his army also come around us to distract and derail us. This is what the Orthodox call “spiritual warfare,” a war between good and evil. The devil has declared war on every human soul, but God has declared war on the devil and has won that war through the Resurrection of Christ. We will all battle the devil and temptation, but we are assured that faith, works and God’s grace provide a path to victory. Winning the war is on the table for all of us. The battles are daily, and some we will win and some we will lose. We will all struggle to make the right decisions, and so this line of the prayer asks for God to not forsake us in our spiritual struggles, especially in our spiritual failures.
We are all victims of the bad decisions of others. Whether that is someone gossiping about us, or hitting our car, we suffer setbacks constantly that are not of our own making. It is very tempting to feel despondent and down when we suffer a serious setback, and the prayer also covers this, asking God to strengthen us when we are the victim of unfortunate circumstance outside of our control.
Our bodies are not perfect. They continuously break down, sometimes in ways that cause small annoyances, such as getting the flu or spraining an ankle, and sometimes in significant ways that cause disruption to life, such as a broken bone or a serious illness. This happens to even the most pious and faithful of people. Illness can test our faith and our resolve. It is especially hard to see young people afflicted with cancer and other serious illnesses, to see kids who should be in school and playing sports confined to hospital rooms with painful treatments. It is hard to encourage and support parents who question “why?” when we are also questioning “why.” Sometimes life holds some devasting experiences for pious Christians—divorce, job loss, required relocation, children in trouble with the law—the possibilities are many. This prayer asks for God not to forsake those who suffer from any of these experiences.
Whether life has been easy or difficult, it will come to an end for each of us. And sometimes that end will be challenging. A long-term illness, a gradual decline, sometimes a steep decline, and a sense of question of when, how and will it ever end can take over our thoughts, so that the last mountain of faith we climb might be the steepest of all.
I think about this more as I get older. And I’m sure many of you do as well. It’s easy to be faithful as we zip along through life, enjoying (relatively) good health and freedom of movement. It’s another matter to see health and freedom decline. We have to ask ourselves is our faith tied to vitality, and will faith remain strong as vitality wanes.
I spoke to someone recently who is 89, and who said “I know I only have a few years left to go.” He is close to that end. Whether it comes suddenly or after a drawn out process, he does not know. I was genuinely moved by his expressed faith and hope in God. I’m not at an age where I think I may have only a few years left. I may, but I am not an age where it is normal to think about that. Speaking with this man was inspiring. His hope remains resolutely in God and even though his future is short and how his exit will be from life is unknown, it is this line of the prayer that reminds me of him, as we ask God not to forsake anyone who sets their hope in Him.
O Lord, bless those who praise You and sanctify those who put their trust in You. Save Your people and bless Your inheritance. Protect the whole body of Your Church. Sanctify those who love the beauty of Your house. Glorify them in return by Your divine power, and do not forsake us who place our hope in You. Grant peace to Your world, to Your churches, to the clergy, to those in public service, to the armed forces, and to all Your people. For every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from You, the Father of Lights and to You we send up glory, and thanksgiving, and worship, to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Challenges to faith can come at any time and at any age. This line of the prayer asks God to never forsake or abandon those who hope in Him, regardless of age or challenges. It assures us that God remains faithful to those who place their hope in Him.
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