(excerpt from Morning Meditations by Martin Wiles)
Isaiah 49:14 The Lord has deserted us; the Lord has forgotten us. (NLT)
“I forgot you were here,” she said. I couldn’t believe I was hearing what I was hearing, but she had.
My wife and I were having a mid afternoon meal at a local barbeque shack. The crowd was slim. In fact, we were the only customers. We looked over the menu and placed our orders-both of which included French fries. After being informed they would have to be cooked, we settled in for small talk while we waited. And waited. And waited.
Twenty minutes later, I walked to the counter and asked how much longer on the order. It was then I heard the words I couldn’t believe. She had actually forgotten us. Her only customers.
God’s people felt the same in Isaiah’s day. Continual disobedience had led to God’s discipline which included seventy years of grueling captivity serving foreign rulers. They felt deserted and forgotten, but they weren’t and God hadn’t. Very soon a ruler from a new dynasty would allow the captives safe passage home.
Have you ever felt forgotten by your spouse? Children? Friends? Work associates? Church acquaintances? Or worse yet, God? Age is creeping up on you, and you need assistance with things around the house but your children are too busy. You’re struggling financially and emotionally but no one from church calls to see why you haven’t been lately? And you just can’t seem to learn the new requirements of your job, but your boss doesn’t seem interested in helping. You’re a candidate for early retirement.
Others may neglect, forget and fail to care about us but God won’t. He always intervenes directly or indirectly by sending someone with a word of encouragement, funds to meet our need, or skills to do what we can’t. He wants us to simply trust, pray and wait. We may get frazzled but we are never forgotten.
Prayer: God, when we feel You have forgotten us and our situation, remind us of Your promise never to leave or forsake us.
(photo courtesty of nuchylee at www.freedigitalphotos.net)