Psalm 38:11

"My friends and companions stand aloof from my plague, and my nearest kin stand far off."

If you're starting to think that I'm saying this verse describes me right now, don't worry!  Not in the least!  But this verse did stand out to me when I was reading it in Psalm 38 just now and I keep thinking about it.

I would NOT want to be in that situation.  I can't imagine much worse at the moment.  Trials are in their very nature, hard, but generally I can say that I at least have my family if not friends around me to make it easier.  Their words often bring much comfort and encouragement and help make the trial easier to bear. 
But many people today are in the midst of this situation.  In particular I think of people in the Middle East who love the Lord and stand for Him and His Word and are therefore hated by friends and family alike!  What an extremely hard place to be!

But these people, our brothers and sisters, are not alone.  They have the strongest Defender, the most comforting Counselor, the greatest hope right by their side.  Actually INside of them.  God does not forget these friends.  Verse 15 goes on to say, "But for you, O LORD, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer."  And verses 21-22 say, "Do not forsake me, O LORD!  O my God, be not far from me!  Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation."

Not many of us face the trial I'm talking about here.  Right now, we don't face too much persecution.  The trials we face are more minimal but still real to us and painful and we can often still feel the way David does.  But I hope we can learn to rely on Him now in these lesser trials, because we never know when we will face severe persecution here in America.  It could be much sooner than we think.  But we have a loving, faithful God, who will never leave us.