Goodbyes

Thus says the LORD: “In a time of favor I have answered you; in a day of salvation I have helped you; I will keep you and give you as a covenant to the people, to establish the land, to apportion the desolate heritages, saying to the prisoners, ‘Come out,’ to those who are in darkness, ‘Appear.’ They shall feed along the ways; on all bare heights shall be their pasture; they shall not hunger or thirst, neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them, for he who has pity on them will lead them, and by springs of water will guide them. And I will make all my mountains a road, and my highways shall be raised up. Behold, these shall come from afar, and behold, these from the north and from the west, and these from the land of Syene.” Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the LORD has comforted his people and will have compassion on his afflicted. But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me.” “Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me. Your builders make haste; your destroyers and those who laid you waste go out from you. Lift up your eyes around and see; they all gather, they come to you. As I live, declares the LORD, you shall put them all on as an ornament; you shall bind them on as a bride does. (Isaiah 49:8-18 ESV). We once had a Schnauzer and she's had great radar. That radar went off whenever she would start to see suitcases being packed. She had learned what that meant. Someone who loves her is going away. She’d run to the back door and begins to whine whenever it looked as if someone she counted on was leaving her. Chances are, you've never run to the back door and begun to whine. But it could be that you know the awful feeling of someone you've counted on leaving. And you FEEL like going and hiding sometimes! I don't know what the leavings may have been in your life, someone you needed died . . . a marriage partner you pledged your life to is gone . . . friends who have let you down or just moved away. The pain of being left is of the great hurts of life. Out of it can come deep feelings of insecurity, distrust, and worthlessness. And ultimately that hurt can become a deep fear of abandonment . . . the fear that loving again will mean losing again. Every one of us needs some stable relationship where there will never be a goodbye. There is one . . . and you may be ready for it. This is the promise of our reading this morning. If you're tired of goodbyes, this promise from your Creator is loaded with hope for a "never say goodbye" relationship. He says, "I will not forget you." and "I am with you always, even to the very end of the age." Also, "I will never leave you or forsake you." There may have been too many goodbyes. But you have within your reach right now the ULTIMATE relationship with the one Person who will never say goodbye. Trust Him to never leave you. Turn to Him today!