NOT ABANDONED

NOT ABANDONED

READ:
Isaiah 49:13-16

I will not forget you.  See,
I have inscribed you on
the palms of My hands.
-Isaiah 49:15-16

Years ago, while my husband and I were visiting the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC, we notice a baby stroller by itself with no one nearby.  We assumed that the parents had left it there because it was too bulky and were now carrying their child.  But as we approached, we saw a sleeping baby inside.  Where was a parent...a sibling...a babysitter?  We hung around for quite some time before hailing a museum official.  No one had shown up to claim that precious child!  The last we saw of him, he was being wheeled away to a safe place.

That experience made me think about what it's like to be abandoned.  It's an overwhelming feeling that no one cares anything about you.  It's a real and excruciatingly painful feeling.  But even though people may abandon us, God's love and presence is assured.  The Lord promises that He will never leave us (Deuteronomy 31:8).  He will be with us wherever we go, "always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20).

The Lord will never falter in His commitment to His children.  Even if we have been abandoned by others, we can find confidence in His promise that nothing will ever "separate us from [His] love" (Romans 8:35-39). -Cindy Hess Kasper

Father, thank You for Your never-failing presence
in every aspect of our lives.  We count on Your
promise never to abandon us.  Please teach us
to rest in that truth.  In Jesus' name, amen.
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Confidence in God's presence is our comfort.

INSIGHT
When life's experiences are distressing, a feeling of abandonment may not be far away.  In today's reading, we see Israel with abandonment anxiety:  "The LORD has forsaken me, and my LORD has forgotten me" (v.14).  In response, Yahweh uses a tender maternal metaphor to soothe the despair of His people:  "Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb?" (v.15).  It is virtually unthinkable for a mother to abandon her baby.  Yet even though this does occasionally take place, God will never forget His people (v.15).  Here God uses living illustrations to paint pictures of His constant care for those He loves despite life's ever-changing circumstances.

Have a blessed day.
God Our Creator's Love Always
Unity & Peace