The Absentee Landlord

"The LORD has forsaken me, my Lord has forgotten me." (Isaiah 49.14)

This was the complaint of the people of Israel during one of the most difficult points in the history. Their country had been overrun, the temple destroyed, and their leaders exiled to Babylon. Surely God had forgotten them.

Ever feel that way, that God is little better than an absentee landlord? You know, the One who's supposed to be present and taking care of things, but never around when you really need Him? How can the Bible speak of God's unfailing love if He's never around when He's needed?

This is the question we will be looking at more fully this Sunday as we continue our series, "Unfailing Love." If you have ever felt alone, abandoned by God, then please join us as we wrestle with this important question.

I don't want to give away the ending or anything, but I thought maybe I'd give you a pretty strong hint of where I'm coming from on this issue. Here are the next few verses of Isaiah 49, the ones that come immediately after Israel's complaint (above):

"Can a woman forget her nursing child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands" (Isaiah 49.15-16a).