Resting in the God Who Has Not Forgotten Me
Evening Scripture
Isaiah 49
Listen to me, you islands;
hear this, you distant nations:
Before I was born the Lord called me;
from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name.
He made my mouth like a sharpened sword,
in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me into a polished arrow
and concealed me in his quiver.
He said to me, “You are my servant,
Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.”
But I said, “I have labored in vain;
I have spent my strength for nothing at all.
Yet what is due me is in the Lord’s hand,
and my reward is with my God.”
And now the Lord says—
he who formed me in the womb to be his servant
to bring Jacob back to him
and gather Israel to himself,
for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord
and my God has been my strength—
he says:
“It is too small a thing for you to be my servant
to restore the tribes of Jacob
and bring back those of Israel I have kept.
I will also make you a light for the Gentiles,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”
This is what the Lord says—
the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel—
to him who was despised and abhorred by the nation,
to the servant of rulers:
“Kings will see you and stand up,
princes will see and bow down,
because of the Lord, who is faithful,
the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”
This is what the Lord says:
“In the time of my favor I will answer you,
and in the day of salvation I will help you;
I will keep you and will make you
to be a covenant for the people,
to restore the land
and to reassign its desolate inheritances,
to say to the captives, ‘Come out,’
and to those in darkness, ‘Be free!’
“They will feed beside the roads
and find pasture on every barren hill.
They will neither hunger nor thirst,
nor will the desert heat or the sun beat down on them.
He who has compassion on them will guide them
and lead them beside springs of water.
I will turn all my mountains into roads,
and my highways will be raised up.
See, they will come from afar—
some from the north, some from the west,
some from the region of Aswan.”
Shout for joy, you heavens;
rejoice, you earth;
burst into song, you mountains!
For the Lord comforts his people
and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.
But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me,
the Lord has forgotten me.”
“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
and have no compassion on the child she has borne?
Though she may forget,
I will not forget you!
See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;
your walls are ever before me.
Your children hasten back,
and those who laid you waste depart from you.
Lift up your eyes and look around;
all your children gather and come to you.
As surely as I live,” declares the Lord,
“you will wear them all as ornaments;
you will put them on, like a bride.
“Though you were ruined and made desolate
and your land laid waste,
now you will be too small for your people,
and those who devoured you will be far away.
The children born during your bereavement
will yet say in your hearing,
‘This place is too small for us;
give us more space to live in.’
Then you will say in your heart,
‘Who bore me these?
I was bereaved and barren;
I was exiled and rejected.
Who brought these up?
I was left all alone,
but these—where have they come from?’”
This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“See, I will beckon to the nations,
I will lift up my banner to the peoples;
they will bring your sons in their arms
and carry your daughters on their hips.
Kings will be your foster fathers,
and their queens your nursing mothers.
They will bow down before you with their faces to the ground;
they will lick the dust at your feet.
Then you will know that I am the Lord;
those who hope in me will not be disappointed.”
Can plunder be taken from warriors,
or captives be rescued from the fierce?
But this is what the Lord says:
“Yes, captives will be taken from warriors,
and plunder retrieved from the fierce;
I will contend with those who contend with you,
and your children I will save.
I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh;
they will be drunk on their own blood, as with wine.
Then all mankind will know
that I, the Lord, am your Savior,
your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”
Evening Reflection
There are many reasons why we may feel that God forgets us. We might think that there are more important events to attend to than whatever we seem to be facing. Or we might believe that we are not important enough. We aren’t influential pastors or preachers; we aren’t ministry heads or church leaders. And then there is the topic of sin. Maybe we feel that we have just done too much to warrant God’s attention. And so, we fear that God pays attention to everyone else, but we are forgotten. We are left to ourselves.
Isaiah reminds us of one of the most affirming and grace-filled promises of scripture. God does not forget us. To the people of Israel, Isaiah, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, declares, “Can a woman forget her nursing-child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb?” Of course, the answer is obvious. Sadly, yes. We may be forgotten or pushed off to the side by even those closest to us. But then the Lord says, “But I will not forget you.”
Part of the glory of this passage is that it is spoken to Israel as they reeled from the Exile. They had every reason to believe they were abandoned by God. But the God who is gracious and kind, and everlastingly patient, declares a heart of love. And the sign of this truth would be that God would inscribe them on the palms of his hands. If you ever fear that you are forgotten by God, if you ever wonder whether God remembers you, all you need to do is look to Jesus. His nail-pierced palms display just how strongly God remembers you.
Evening Prayer
Gracious Jesus.
As I move to the close of this day, I pray that you give me the assurance of your loving presence. Help me to rest my soul in you, as I rest my body. Help me to breathe deeply the promise that there is no place in where I am outside of your loving concern. You never cast me aside. You never forget me.
Lord when I am tempted to forget you, gently show yourself to me. When I fear that I am not good enough for you, help me to hear your loving promise of eternal grace. When my sins of my life torment me, give me bold faith to claim your forgiveness and mercy.
May this night be a night where I am surrounded by your remembrance. And may tomorrow be a day where I delight in your love and walk in your will.
Amen.
How did tonight’s scripture speak to you? Share your thoughts in the Your Nightly Scripture forum discussion.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/cyano66
Related Resource: Discouragement Often Comes after Calling | Ezra 3
In this episode of The Bible Explained, Jen walks through Ezra chapter 3 and explores the Israelites’ return from exile as they begin rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem. She highlights how the people, though fearful and greatly outnumbered, chose unity, obedience, and worship by first rebuilding the altar and restoring sacrifices to God. The episode focuses on the emotional moment when the temple foundation is laid—some rejoice with gratitude while others weep, remembering the former temple’s glory. Through passages in Ezra, Haggai, and Zechariah, Jen emphasizes God’s encouragement not to “despise small beginnings,” reminding listeners that God often works through humble starts, difficult seasons, and imperfect circumstances. The episode closes with a practical encouragement: when God calls people to a purpose, opposition and discouragement will come, but faithful perseverance and trust in God’s presence are what carry the work forward. If this podcast helped you understand the Bible in a clearer way, be sure to follow The Bible Explained on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
Was this resource helpful? Add Christianity.com as a trusted source for Biblical content.
_639137852662938042.webp)