Isaiah 49:8-16a
“Thus says the Lord:
In a time of favor I have answered you;
on a day of salvation I have helped you;
I have kept you and given you
as a covenant to the people,
to establish the land,
to apportion the desolate heritages,
saying to the prisoners, “Come out,”
to those who are in darkness, “Show yourselves.”
They shall feed along the ways;
on all the bare heights shall be their pasture;
they shall not hunger or thirst,
neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them down,
for he who has pity on them will lead them
and by springs of water will guide them.
And I will turn all my mountains into a road,
and my highways shall be raised up.
Look, some shall come from far away,
some from the north and from the west,
and some from the land of Syene.
Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth;
break forth, O mountains, into singing!
For the Lord has comforted his people
and will have compassion on his suffering ones.
But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me;
my Lord has forgotten me.”
Can a woman forget her nursing child
or show no compassion for the child of her womb?
Even these might forget,
yet I will not forget you.
See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands…”
What does it mean to be forgotten by God?
To feel there is no God?
That the mustard seed vanished?
That there is no reward,
No reunion,
No reason.
Nothingness,
Emptiness,
and the Nihilists were right.
The feeling is real but deceptive.
You were always etched on His hand.
Without you it would be like a missing limb,
or an aching breast.
Your residual cells reside in Him
from before you were woven together.
But with Him there is no sudden gasp
in the middle of the night
and a jump up to make sure everything is all right.
He forgot nothing.
So come out to you who are in darkness:
The hungry, the thirsty,
And be blessed
with eyes for the blind,
and feet for the lame.
The risen highway is here.
If you have ever felt forgotten by God, how did He reveal Himself to you?