“But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me, And my Lord has forgotten me.” “Can a woman forget her nursing child, And not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me.” Isaiah 49:14-16 NKJV
The common theme around the world seems to be hopelessness. There is a lot going on, and not much of a visible way forward. Things are spiraling more and more out of control generally, so I can only imagine what it is in people’s personal lives and day-to-day activities. We are collectively experiencing hard times, and for us Christians, it is easy to feel forgotten. When I cannot find the Lord’s hand where I am, I tend to go on and on in the secret place. I say the same thing over and over: I plead with God and explain why my way might be the best, or why I need what I am asking Him for. And when the answer is no, I harbour it against Him.
God’s Ways are Not Our Ways
I am learning to do better, and there has been no better time to practice than now. I heard something a while ago that shifted my perspective: that we should not beg God. The explanation of the claim was that begging suggested we did not trust that the Lord did not want to give good gifts, or that He wanted less than we did for ourselves. It has remained in my mind ever since, because for the first time, I recognised that I had been praying as though it was not the Lord’s nature nor preference to grant me my heart’s desires, or that I had better intentions for myself than He did. But the Lord is good. He wants the very best for us – and knows what is best for us more than we do.
God Loves Us Actively
Isaiah 49:14-16 emphasizes these truths to me. Mothers are celebrated loudly, as they should be. Motherhood is hailed for the incredible work that mothers tend to and should do, but mostly for how they love their children regardless of their situations. Even those who did not have good experiences with their mothers understand that there is a standard of care they deserved. Knowing that the Lord loves me even more than the mother I have had the blessing of experiencing is an incomprehensible comfort. I try to picture it: every time His palms are before Him, He sees my name. My walls are always in His sight. It means that He considers my prayers, that nothing is wasted (Romans 8:28). He goes as far as to hear my cries and respond speedily, as nursing mothers do. He is never late, and is always on time. His word says that “He is not slack concerning His promise…” (2 Peter 3:9). He is active in His remembrance of us, the way mothers tend to be.
My prayer, as we prepare our gifts and bouquets to celebrate the mothers and motherly figures in our lives, is that we remember that God loves us the most. It is my prayer in Jesus’ name that you are encouraged as you ruminate on the Word’s comparison of motherhood, notwithstanding your personal experience with motherhood. I pray that you are assured that He will never forget you. Amen.
