Even should she forget, I will never forget you.

What a spectacular word from God!  How did Isaiah come up with such a moving analogy for God’s love?  Especially in the ancient Near East, with its male dominated outlook, comparing almighty God to a loving, tender mother mush have sounded revolutionary.

Let this analogy sink in for a moment.  When we hear of a mother’s love for her newborn child, we immediately think of a warm, encompassing, and nurturing love.  We think of a women who will go to great lengths to protect her child, even if ti means sacrificing her own life.  And that is the surprising and beautiful thing about Isaiah’s prophecy.  This i show our God looks at us.

Initially, this prophetic word was intended to bring comfort to the Jews who had been defeated in battle and then exiled from their homes.  Captives of war, living in a foreign country far from their home and their Temple, they could have thought that God had abandoned them.  But Isaiah’s words rang out with comfort and assurance.  “I am with you”.

At the same time, this prophecy is meant for all of us.  Just as the Israelites were in need of hope and encouragement, so are we.  No matter what our lives look like right now, the Lord wants to tell us, ” I will never forget you.”  We all know that our word has a mixture of good and bad, of joy and sorrow, of love and hatred.  How wonderful it is to know that in the midst of all the ups and downs of life, we have one constant; almighty God loves us just as intensely as a mother loves her child.

So sit quietly with your God today.  Let God’s love, a love as tender as a mother’s love, comfort you and encourage you.  You are never alone!  God will never forget you!

-word among us