2006-11-15 - Not Forgotten

Isaiah 44:21, 22, "Remember these things, O Jacob, and Israel, for you are My servant; I have formed you, you are My servant, O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me. I have wiped out your transgressions like a thick cloud, and your sins like a heavy mist. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you."

If you read the above verse over again you will probably understand that there is easily enough in these two verse to fill a large volume of exposition. I would like to simply focus in on just one thought contained in these verses: "You will not be forgotten of Me."

The Lord will never fail to love His servants. This is a great comfort. If you follow Christ, you are loved. If you are His servant He loved you before the world began, loves you now, and will love you into eternity. You may only have been following Christ two years, but maybe 10, 30, 40, it makes no matter, He has not, and never will forget you.

It is an old truth, but one rarely emphasized today because we focus on the moment of decision and are often told that we were first loved by Christ when we came to faith, but Christ loved His children before coming to faith. Reflectively you might agree, "Yes, He loved me 2000 years ago when He went to Calvary for my sins." You would be right, but still falling short of how much you are loved in Christ. He loved you before the foundation of the world, before the stars were set in their places, before all time; Christ loved you even then. There is great security in this truth. Such a love can never fail us. Such a love can never forget us. Hence His promise in this passage, "You will not be forgotten of Me."

In a day you may meet with a fall, or an accident, or your health may be stripped from you. We cannot know these things, but we have this promise that He will not forget us. We are part of the body of Christ and Christ will lose or forget none of His body. You would not like to lose a toe, or a finger, or an arm, so also Christ will lose none of those who are His. John Bunyan gives the illustration of a little boy who is asked by someone to come over and let him cut off one of his fingers. The boy, not surprisingly, says, "No." The man says that he will replace it with a gold finger, and put it in it's place. The child replies, "But it would not be my finger." And so it is with Christ, he will have none of His own lost. We will not be forgotten of Him.

Lastly, may I point out something important in this verse. The promise spoken above is made to those who are His servants. He says, "My servant, you will not be forgotten of Me." This promise is only for those who are in Christ. His promise is not a general promise, but is only for those who follow Him. May we all be sure today that we are one of His servants that we might take comfort in the truth that He will not forget us.

Soli Deo Gloria,
T-

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