"But Zion said, 'The Lord has forsaken me, and my Lord has forgotten me.'" (Isaiah 49:14)
If anyone knows anything of Jewish history, one could, in a human rationale, understand the assertion in our text. For the vast majority of Jewish history the Jews have found themselves in great suffering, and no matter the goodness of the Living Triune God, the conclusion of most has been, "But Zion said, 'The Lord has forsaken me.'" This statement is the bedfellow of the question, "Why did God allow this?" The question, "Why?" puts me in the driver's seat. It makes me the determining factor of life, the "lord" of my life. Unanswered "whys" affect relationship with Jesus. They are the root of doubt and reservation, preventing a person from absolute trust in Jesus Christ----- in everything.
I sat across from a classmate of mine last August at our high school's 50th reunion who knew of the loss of our son, Stephen. She said, "My only question was, 'Why?'" There was utter confusion in her expression, a "how-could-God-allow-this" look. Something happened that did not permit a response from me, but what if I had said, "I don't know?" How does such a response affect people? How does such a response affect you today? How many things have happened in your life for which you, in all honesty, have no answers, at least answers which satisfy. One commentary on God's response to Job's queries said it was a response "which answers nothing------- and everything." The answer was, can I use a vernacular here?--- "This is beyond your pay grade, Job." In essence, "Job, you can understand so little of My Universe. Why attempt to understand this?"
I have met so many people in my life time who have made the same assertion as our text. For far too many, the "whys" have led to, "The Lord has forsaken me." Maybe the words were a little different, but the the great "whys" of life, the unanswered questions for so many lead to the inevitable end, "I give up; I quit." There is no reason for such an end.
The truth, the "answer," if you will, in such times of despair as recorded in our text is in the following verse. "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. You and I have a continual choice. Look for answers that come from ourselves or others, or from Him Who is, "The Word of God," even Jesus, the Christ: "See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands."
Father, in Jesus' Name, I receive and accept Your Words over all others; You, "will not forget [me]." Amen.
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If anyone knows anything of Jewish history, one could, in a human rationale, understand the assertion in our text. For the vast majority of Jewish history the Jews have found themselves in great suffering, and no matter the goodness of the Living Triune God, the conclusion of most has been, "But Zion said, 'The Lord has forsaken me.'" This statement is the bedfellow of the question, "Why did God allow this?" The question, "Why?" puts me in the driver's seat. It makes me the determining factor of life, the "lord" of my life. Unanswered "whys" affect relationship with Jesus. They are the root of doubt and reservation, preventing a person from absolute trust in Jesus Christ----- in everything.
I sat across from a classmate of mine last August at our high school's 50th reunion who knew of the loss of our son, Stephen. She said, "My only question was, 'Why?'" There was utter confusion in her expression, a "how-could-God-allow-this" look. Something happened that did not permit a response from me, but what if I had said, "I don't know?" How does such a response affect people? How does such a response affect you today? How many things have happened in your life for which you, in all honesty, have no answers, at least answers which satisfy. One commentary on God's response to Job's queries said it was a response "which answers nothing------- and everything." The answer was, can I use a vernacular here?--- "This is beyond your pay grade, Job." In essence, "Job, you can understand so little of My Universe. Why attempt to understand this?"
I have met so many people in my life time who have made the same assertion as our text. For far too many, the "whys" have led to, "The Lord has forsaken me." Maybe the words were a little different, but the the great "whys" of life, the unanswered questions for so many lead to the inevitable end, "I give up; I quit." There is no reason for such an end.
The truth, the "answer," if you will, in such times of despair as recorded in our text is in the following verse. "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. You and I have a continual choice. Look for answers that come from ourselves or others, or from Him Who is, "The Word of God," even Jesus, the Christ: "See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands."
Father, in Jesus' Name, I receive and accept Your Words over all others; You, "will not forget [me]." Amen.
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Read of coming chaos in Iraq: www.jerberwash.blogspot.com
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
