When you feel abandoned by God it is so important that you remember when God was there for you. This is what Moses was trying to impress upon the Israelites before they entered the promise land.
He had many instructions for them, including the necessity of keeping the commandments. They would forget to follow the commandments, but when they were at their lowest points, they would remember that God always came through.
As generations came and went, this message was repeated in the Scriptures. It was contained in Psalm 22 which Jesus would quote while he hung on the cross.
It is important for us as well to remember and not abandon God when bad things happen in our lives, because if there is any certainty in life, it is that bad things will happen. No one escapes suffering. The challenge for us as for the Israelites is how we respond.
Do we continue to trust that God will be with us through it all, or do we turn away from God, or even deny God's very existence?
The way we handle tragedy teaches our children and grandchildren about our trust in God even more than the words we use. When our first response is prayer, we are teaching trust. When we recall the blessings we have received, it is easier to stay faithful.
Sometimes we think that if God is with us, we won't have to face these problems, but that is so unrealistic! Jesus knew that his Father was with him IN the suffering, and that is what helped him to face it. God will be with us in OUR suffering as well.
When we count our blessings daily, we are keeping the memory of them alive and we will be more able to survive what life sends us.
