Feeling Forgotten?

Isaiah 40:27-31

27 Why do you complain, Jacob?

    Why do you say, Israel,

“My way is hidden from the Lord;

    my cause is disregarded by my God”?

28 Do you not know?

    Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God,

    the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary,

    and his understanding no one can fathom.

29 He gives strength to the weary

    and increases the power of the weak.

30 Even youths grow tired and weary,

    and young men stumble and fall;

31 but those who hope in the Lord

    will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

    they will run and not grow weary,

    they will walk and not be faint.

The passage for today’s devotional comes to us from the book of Isaiah.  Scholars aren’t really certain who wrote this passage, but the message is constant and clear, “God does not forget.”

At this point in time, the Jews are in captivity in Babylon.  They remain under the control of the Babylonians for between 50 to 70 years.  Think about it. . .if you are 50, you likely have children and possibly grandchildren by now.  For three generations, you have not seen your home because you have not been allowed to leave.  God had made a promise to the Jews that they would be an eternal nation.  After seeing three generations and 50 years of exile in Babylon, I wonder how many of the Jews actually believed God was going to keep His promise?

In this verse, we see the writer asking the Jews why they are complaining, asking why their cause has been disregarded by God.  Have you been in that position before?  You pray and pray and yet, it seems like God is not answering your prayers.  Perhaps you are going through a difficult transition in your job, in a friendship, or a family relationship?  Maybe you are waiting on God’s perfect timing?  When you are in these situations, do you find yourself complaining?  Perhaps you wonder why God can’t just get things figured out quickly and fix them because you have been on your knees asking for healing, asking for things to begin moving in a direction so you know where to go?

When we fail to remember that God is everlasting, we forget that He is where our strength comes from.  But, we are reminded that when we have hope in the Lord, He will give us strength.  He will lift us up. We will be able to soar on wings like eagles, we will not grow weary, we will not grow faint.

After more than half a century had passed, God delivers the Jews from Babylon just as He promised.  How many of us have had to wait more than 50 years waiting on a request from God?  When we are delivered by the everlasting God, we are reminded that God is always faithful.

This week, when you are feeling forgotten, when you feel like God doesn’t care, when you feel like He isn’t answering your prayers, ask Him for strength, to renew your hope in Him, to keep you from growing weak.  When we remember He gives us all of these things, you will begin soaring on wings like eagles as your hope and faith in the Lord will renew your strength.  After growing tired and weary, I’m ready for that strength, that understanding that only God can give. I’m ready for God to give me power as I become weak. We can have all of this when our hope is in Him. Are you ready for these things?  It’s time to place our hope back in our everlasting God.

1 thought on “Feeling Forgotten?

  1. So true -it’s time to place our entire hope in our everlasting God! Thanks for that reminder. God is always there for us, and He never leaves us hanging. We just have to keep all of our trust and faith in Him! Praise the Lord!

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