October 8

Never Alone

No longer will you be called Forsaken, nor your land named Desolate; but you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the LORD will take delight in you, and your land will be His bride. — Isa 62:4 BSB

“Forsaken” is a terrible word. It rings like a funeral bell. It signals sharp sorrow and foretells deep trouble. The word “forsaken” carries a vast amount of pain. To be forsaken by someone who pledged their loyalty! Forsaken by a trusted friend! Forsaken by a dear family member! Forsaken by father and mother! Forsaken by everyone! This is true misery, and yet it can be endured if the Lord takes us up.

But what must it feel like to be forsaken by God? Think of that most bitter cry, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Have we ever tasted the bitterness of that experience, even in part? If so, let us earnestly ask the Lord to spare us from ever feeling such sorrow again. May such darkness never return! People may, in malice, say of a saint, “God has forsaken him; persecute and take him,” but that is always false. God’s favor will silence our cruel enemies or, at least, make them hold their tongues.

The opposite of “forsaken” is the beautiful word Hephzibah, meaning “the Lord delights in you.” This turns mourning into dancing. Let those who once thought they were forsaken hear the Lord say, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”