Why do My people claim, “We will go where we want; we will no longer come to You?” Can a young woman forget her jewelry or a bride her wedding sash? Yet My people have forgotten Me for countless days.” Jeremiah 2:31b-32
My words…
Some things are not meant to be forgotten. I’ve never seen a bride walk down the aisle in her bath robe because she forgot to bring her dress. A lioness does not forget to feed her young. The rain does not forget to fall. Migration does not slip the mind of the hummingbird.
You, Lord, are not meant to be forgotten.
You, who rides on the clouds and works wonders, whose sanctuary is filled with strength and beauty, who will bring every hidden thing to judgment. You, who rises up to show compassion, who calls the starry host by name, who stirs up the sea so its waves roar. You, who established the world by His wisdom and spread out the heavens by His understanding, who holds my life breath in His hand, who makes the dawn out of darkness and strides on the heights of the earth.
Yahweh is Your name. Never to be forgotten.
And yet…
You were forgotten in an age long ago by Your chosen people. You are forgotten now in this age. Just because You’re God doesn’t mean You’ve grown accustomed to it. That’s what I think, anyway.
I consider how it feels to be forgotten: broken-hearted, worthless, hollow.
“How could anyone forget You?” I say. “How could anyone make You feel that way?” Oh, I see. It’s done when someone wants to go where they want and do what they want without regard to You or Your instructions.
Hmmm. This sounds vaguely familiar. How many times have I gone my own way without regard to You or what Your will is for me? The truth is, I put You out of my mind. I forgot You. And like the Israelites, I did it for countless days. Then, repentance and forgiveness followed: a precious reminder why You should never be forgotten.
Lord, I pray for those who have forgotten You. Your love for them is not affected by their forgetfulness because You can’t help Yourself. You are love. Send them reminders, Lord, so the countless days will come to an end.
It bothers me when I think of You as forgotten. As surely as the earth spins on its axis, so should the created be constantly mindful of its Creator. Well, that’s the way it should be, anyway.
