Forgotten

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Friday, December 29, 2017

Sing for joy, O heavens!  Rejoice, O earth!  Burst into song, O mountains!  For the Lord has comforted his people and will have compassion on them in their suffering.  Yet Jerusalem says, “The Lord has deserted us; the Lord has forgotten us.”  “Never!  Can a mother forget her nursing child?  Can she feel no love for the child she has borne?  But even if that were possible, I would not forget you!” 

Isaiah 49:13-15^(NLT)

When our family gets together there are (by actual count) more than a dozen IPhones on the loose.  And when we’re trying to coordinate four households showing up at a theme park at the same time, in the same sector of a huge parking lot…well, let’s say the texting wars sound like the bell-ringers have arrived!  Someone will do a “fat-finger” goof, so OTW (On-the-way) becomes OTB, and the translation puns start to pile-on:

Ding…OTB – you On-The-Beach?

Ding…OTB – I didn’t know you were into Off-Track-Betting J

Ding…OTB – Where-r- you parked…Omaha-Transportation-Booth?  

It happened again this week, although I’m happy to say there were no death-threats this time.  But when I went to delete the whole thread there were 168 texts; I’m surprised there were no death threats, especially from me!

The whole point of sharing this is, with today’s abundance of communication tools, there’s no place to hide.  And nobody gets left out.  And that’s a good thing for a family, because there are so many ways to feel left out, left behind, or forgotten!

Israel felt that way, collectively-forgotten in a strange land.  The Babylonian captivity was like being forgotten in back of the tool shed for decades.  Every never-ending day drags-on like someone forgot to wind the clock and nobody cares whether you’re alive or dead.  There is no slower time than time-out; just ask a six-year old who has sinned egregiously by kicking his Dad in the shin because he doesn’t like carrots, and he’d rather be outside playing, but has to stay at the table until he at least tastes the hated veggie.

The nation of Israel had sinned a lot worse than that.  They collectively had forgotten their covenant with God and had fallen into idol worship.  When God sent prophets to warn them to either turn back, or prepare to suffer the consequences, the prophets were ignored, or, even worse, the prophets were killed.  The subsequent overwhelming judgment God sent was at the hand of Babylon’s King, Nebuchadnezzar, and lasted for 70 years.  It was easy to feel they had been forgotten by God.

But punishment is never to be confused with being discarded.  God had not forgotten His beloved Israel, the jewel of His covenant.  They were being purified, cleansed, and straightened-out, not discarded. 

It’s called discipline:

Think about it: Just as a parent disciplines a child, the Lord your God disciplines you for your own good.  Deuteronomy 8:5^(NLT)

For You Today

If you’ve been through a time when you felt forgotten by God, know that discipline doesn’t last forever; the perfect loving embrace of God awaits those who repent and turn to their father…even if you’ve kicked Him in the shins!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road…have a blessed day!

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[1] Title Image: Courtesy of Pixabay.com

After the Disaster

Got safety?

Almost daily we hear of incredible tragedies in the world.  The typhoon in the Philippines is the latest overwhelming news story.  Nothing like that has ever happened to me and my family.  For that I am extremely grateful, and a little saddened, that, having not experienced such loss, I cannot fully understand the depth of another person’s suffering.

Throughout Scripture God’s special people, the Jews, have experienced incredible hardship and persecution.  Much of their suffering was at God’s hand; captivities, conquered by evil despots, plagues, wanderings, persecution, holocaust! 

Whoa!  How could a loving father treat his children like that?  Well, Scripture is quick to point out two realities about God’s children and suffering:

 Obedience brings God’s favor

Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart’s desires.   Psalms 37:4 (NLT)

Too many of us read the second part of that verse as if it stands alone; we want our heart’s desires.  But the full verse makes it clear that when the desires of your heart are in line with God’s heart, then there is no limit to what He will do for you.  Obedience comes first….otherwise, the second reality happens….

Disobedience brings God’s correction. 

Throughout the Scriptures God makes the case over and over again that a genuinely loving Father is one who corrects bad behavior:

Think about it: Just as a parent disciplines a child, the LORD your God disciplines you for your own good.    Deuteronomy 8:5 (NLT)

Those who spare the rod of discipline hate their children. Those who love their children care enough to discipline them.  Proverbs 13:24 (NLT)

For the LORD disciplines those he loves,and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.”   As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father?    Hebrews 12:6-7 (NLT)

I correct and punish everyone I love. So make up your minds to turn away from your sins.   Revelation 3:19 (CEV)

In Nehemiah’s prayer he acknowledged that even in the midst of harsh judgment, God’s people are not totally destroyed – and that because of God’s great mercy and grace.

Today

There is a saying I’ve come to appreciate – You’re either going through tough times, have just come through tough times, or, hold on… tough time’s a-coming.

Wherever you find yourself on that scale, it’s a more than profitable practice to praise God for His grace and mercy – you’re going to need both.

(Please note - this rehearsing of Israel's judgments in no way suggests the typhoon in the Philippines is God's judgment on that nation.  This devotion is intended to help us see judgment in light of our personal relationship with God, and our behavior before God, so that both may improve.  As ever, we pray for the relief of suffering in the Philippines and in all the world.)