“Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she would have no compassion on the son of her womb?
Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.”
Isaiah 49:15
From the moment a mother finds out she is pregnant, the Lord equips her with a fierce tender care for the child in her womb. He provides fluid to protect from outside pressures, and nutrients to sustain precious developing life. Once the child enters the world, the care deepens into as the mother patiently nurses, affectionately embraces, and faithfully teaches her children alongside her husband. Yet as wonderful as maternal devotion is, human love has it’s limits: human hearts can fail, mothers grow weary.
Against this backdrop we consider the Lord’s heart for his people, even mother’s may forget, “yet I will not forget you.” The Israelites of old, sitting in Exile, may have felt abandoned. Elijah, watching the stream run dry, may have been tempted to believe he was left to die. David, hiding in dark caves, or Joseph languishing at the bottom of a pit—each tempted to believe they were forgotten. Yet in every shadow, the Lord was with them (Ps. 23:4), protecting and providing for those he had borne on his heart.
How much more should we be convinced of the Lord’s mindfulness of us when we look at the cross? He gave us his only Son, and the Son came freely. In steadfast love, he entered the pain and suffering of this world to show us he has never forgotten a single promise. As we see the Saviour, with his hands pierced for our transgressions, we see a God who would give all that it takes to bring us to himeself—even death on a cross. Surely, if the Father has given us his Son, how would he fail to see us now? He will certainly make good on his promise to bring us home.
The Lord can no more forget his children than a mother can forget the child of her womb. He has supplied all that she needs to flourish, carrying her safely through in the trials of this world until she is brought home. In tender compassion, the Lord never will, nor never can forget those whom he has engraved on the palms of his hands (Isa. 49:16).
