Isaiah 49:13-23

“But Zion says, ‘The Lord has abandoned me; my Lord has forgotten me.’ Can a woman forget her nursing child…? Even these may forget, but I won’t forget you.” (Isaiah 49:15, CEB)

Whew! That’s good news! God will not forget us. What a good reminder for us on these dark days of December when it takes forever for the sun to come up and then too quickly, it goes down. No wonder ancient societies arranged elaborate celebrations to please the sun so it would return to them in the spring.

I love the language of this “song” in Isaiah. Full of promise for better days, a bright future. And it is good news not just for an individual but for an entire nation. These days of political turmoil and the violence that seems rampant today make it hard to imagine a peaceful future in our world.

But God says again and again that we are not abandoned. God’s love goes beyond all borders, beyond all situations, whether political or personal (and sometimes we experience both at the same time), and beyond even our own doing. Even on your worst day, save a little space for joy. God will fill that space.

Thank you, God, for reminding us you are always there as close to us as our own breathing. Amen.

– Pastor Fay Ann Blaylock, Zion United Church of Christ, Rulo, and FIrst Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Falls City