Has the Lord Forgotten Us?
A reading for Friday, November 20, 2015: Isaiah 49:13-16.
Has the Lord forgotten us? Isaiah wonders whether the Lord has forgotten Zion and left her on her own against the suffering of the world. The people of God have been conquered and exiled and suffering abounds. Isaiah's question is raw with emotion and honesty...
For us perhaps it depends on where you stand on the planet earth. If you were fortunate enough to be born in the United States or other parts of North America, perhaps you would proclaim that the Lord has been abundant and gracious. Surely it's because we are more righteous? (sarcasm) There are other parts of the world that would say the same.
However, if you were born in the Middle East, or Africa, or parts of Central America it might at times seem as if the Lord has forgotten you. Why is there so much suffering for so many who have had no part in evil and sin? Has the Lord forgotten them?
Or could it be that we have forgotten them? With our borders and our politics and fear, we isolate the suffering in order to insulate ourselves. What if they were to overwhelm us and cause us to suffer we wonder. As if the Lord then would forget us just as the Lord has forgotten them...
Yet Isaiah says that the Lord has not forgotten any. "Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you." The Lord our God has been faithful to all, even in the midst of our own unfaithfulness. God has shown us what is good and right to do. Do we trust in God or do we trust in our own ability to stay safe and eliminate suffering? Perhaps suffering in our world is not just an economic or cultural problem but a spiritual one too.
It simply comes down to this... Do we believe that God provides enough for all or not?
Has the Lord forgotten us? Hear the words of the Lord from the prophet Isaiah, "Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you."
Has the Lord forgotten us? Isaiah wonders whether the Lord has forgotten Zion and left her on her own against the suffering of the world. The people of God have been conquered and exiled and suffering abounds. Isaiah's question is raw with emotion and honesty...
For us perhaps it depends on where you stand on the planet earth. If you were fortunate enough to be born in the United States or other parts of North America, perhaps you would proclaim that the Lord has been abundant and gracious. Surely it's because we are more righteous? (sarcasm) There are other parts of the world that would say the same.
However, if you were born in the Middle East, or Africa, or parts of Central America it might at times seem as if the Lord has forgotten you. Why is there so much suffering for so many who have had no part in evil and sin? Has the Lord forgotten them?
Or could it be that we have forgotten them? With our borders and our politics and fear, we isolate the suffering in order to insulate ourselves. What if they were to overwhelm us and cause us to suffer we wonder. As if the Lord then would forget us just as the Lord has forgotten them...
Yet Isaiah says that the Lord has not forgotten any. "Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you." The Lord our God has been faithful to all, even in the midst of our own unfaithfulness. God has shown us what is good and right to do. Do we trust in God or do we trust in our own ability to stay safe and eliminate suffering? Perhaps suffering in our world is not just an economic or cultural problem but a spiritual one too.
It simply comes down to this... Do we believe that God provides enough for all or not?
Has the Lord forgotten us? Hear the words of the Lord from the prophet Isaiah, "Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you."
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