God Is Watching Over Us
Sing for joy, O heavens! Rejoice, O earth! Burst into song, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted his people and will have compassion on them in their suffering. Yet Jerusalem says, “The Lord has deserted us; the Lord has forgotten us.” “Never! Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child she has borne? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you! See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands. Always in my mind is a picture of Jerusalem’s walls in ruins. Soon your descendants will come back, and all who are trying to destroy you will go away.1
Have you ever felt like God has forgotten about you? Have you felt ignored, abandoned, or unimportant? In times of suffering, it's easy to think that He doesn't see or care about what we're going through. When Jerusalem was destroyed and most of its inhabitants sent into Babylonian captivity, the people of Israel also thought that God had forgotten and abandoned them.
However, today's passage directly challenges the assumption that pain and hardship are indications of God's absence. After He acknowledges that He knows all about Israel's fear of abandonment, He belies this by affirming His unconditional love. He is as close, attentive and generous as a mother with her nursing baby, and it is impossible for him to forget us. To make this point clear to the Israelites, God assured them that He had written them on the palms of His hands (Isaiah 49:16). Does this image sound familiar?
Centuries later, Jesus Christ hung from a cross with nails piercing His hands, proving that God's words were true and that we are worth more to Him than we could ever imagine. We are God's never forgotten and beloved. How would our daily lives and relationship with our Heavenly Father change if we lived secure in the knowledge that we are always in His thoughts?
Suggested Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your unconditional love that You have given us through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank you for always being aware of us. Let us be aware that you never forget us, no matter how difficult the circumstances that come our way may seem. Let us embrace your promises even in the midst of uncertainty, and let us feel that peace that only you can give us. I pray in the name of your beloved Son, Jesus, Amen.
1. Isaiah 49:13-17 (NLT).
Today's Encounter was written by: Rosina N.
All articles on this website are written by
Richard (Dick) Innes unless otherwise stated.