Isa 49:14

Isa 49:14  But Zion said, The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me.  Isaiah 49 is a prophecy about Christ and His mission. Christ is portrayed as a servant chosen by God to be “a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth” (v.6). Simeon, a just and devout man, said this when the baby Jesus was presented to him: “A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel” (Luke 2:32). Paul also referenced it to Jesus when He turned to the Gentiles after the Jews had rejected the gospel message: “I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth” (Acts 13:47). God reinforced His love for Israel and said: “In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee” (v.8). But, Israel said instead: “The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me” (v.14).                                                                          The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me - This statement expresses the extreme discouragement and depression that were felt by the exiles in Babylon. They had such thought due to the long and weary time of the captivity. It is not Israel alone that has this complaint; people of God, in all times of similar oppression and distress, often question if God loves them. The temptation is to blame God for all our troubles. We forget that most of our troubles are due to the choices we made in this life. For example, if you drink, you get drunk. If you get drunk, you get into all sorts of troubles. Another example: Why are you unhappy? You will find the problem lies with you and not with the environment or with someone else. You are unhappy because you are angry with someone, hate someone, didn’t get what you want, or because it is raining. If you have been sick for a long period of time, there is this temptation to blame God and say He has forgotten and forsaken you. But think about this: Which of the saints of God have not gone through periods of testing? Does Job deserve to suffer? Should Daniel be thrown into a den of lions? Paul suffered much though he was serving God faithfully. Testing is to make us stronger: “Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience” (James 1:3). At one point in his life, Abram lost patience and chose to fulfil the promise the human way by taking Hagar to be his concubine to bear the promised seed (Genesis 16:1-4). That mistake caused lots of problems to his household and descendents for generations. God wants us to walk by faith, and not by experiences or feelings: “For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). If we turn away in the difficult times, then our faith is weak; we are walking by sight and feeling. But when we cling through the difficult times, then our faith is true. The "walk by faith, not by sight," is really easier said than done. In Psalms, we see so many times, the psalmist expresses thoughts that God has forsaken him: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?” (Psalm 22:1). But each time, as he reflects on God’s goodness and how He has delivered him all those times, his faith is restored: “I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee” (Psalm 22:22). Yes, think of the times that when you thought God had forgotten and forsaken you, but look where you are today. What happened to your troubles? God has not forsaken you! “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5).