Read: Isaiah 49:13-18
I will not forget you. (v. 15)
Have you ever felt forgotten? Feeling forgotten is a lonely feeling. Feeling forgotten can lead us to believe we are not loved. Psalmists have often expressed this feeling, “How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever?” (Ps. 13:1) But being remembered brings us joy. Think about what it’s like to receive an unexpected card, email, or phone call from someone who said they were just thinking about you. How did this act of remembrance make you feel? Loved?
Our covenant God is a God who remembers. He remembered his covenant with Noah and rescued Noah and his family from the flood. God remembered his promises to Abraham and granted him descendants more numerous than the stars. God remembered Israel, his treasured possession, and brought them back from captivity where they were exiled for their disobedience. They felt forsaken, but the Lord said, “Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands” (Isa. 49:15-16).
People may forget us, but God does not! We may feel forsaken, but God remembers us. Believing that God has forsaken us prevents us from believing in our heart that he loves us. But let us not forget that the Lord has engraved us on the palm of his hands. How can he forget you, his beloved child? You are loved and remembered.
As you pray, thank God for loving you and remembering you.
About the Author
Nancy Boote
Nancy Boote, an ordained minister in the Reformed Church of America, lives in Holland, Michigan, with her husband.
