💙 I Will Never Forget You!

💙 I Will Never Forget You!

When Even a Mother's Love Fails — God's Love Remains

“But Zion said, ‘The LORD has forsaken me, and my Lord has forgotten me.’ Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands.” (Isaiah 49:14–16, NKJV)

A Mother's Love Forgotten?

This morning, I witnessed something rather strange in my garden here in Israel.

A mother cat, whom we had spayed several months ago, came wandering into my garden where her son, now a few months old, has been living.

I expected a sweet reunion between mother and son, but what happened instead was heartbreaking!

Rather than greeting her little one with affection, this mother cat acted as though she didn't even recognize him! She hissed at him, lashed out, and treated him with the same hostility she showed toward the other cats in the garden.

I watched the little fellow's reaction, and I could almost see the confusion written all over his sweet little face.

What had happened to his mother? Why was she treating him this way? Didn't she remember him anymore?

This was the same mother who had once lovingly protected him from the many dangers of life on the streets of Israel. She had hidden him away in a secret little hiding place, safe from the dogs and other threats, where she nursed and nourished him for so many weeks.

I remember how they used to cuddle together, and how she would tenderly lick his little head in affection.

She had been such a devoted mother!

But now, only a few months later, it was as though she had completely forgotten that he was her own son!

Of course, this kind of behavior can happen in the animal world as kittens grow older and become independent. But watching this little drama unfold brought to mind a beautiful passage from the prophet Isaiah.

Can a Mother Forget Her Nursing Child?

“Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you.” (Isaiah 49:15)

Perhaps Isaiah had witnessed something similar in the animal world when he wrote these words!

Or perhaps he was simply acknowledging a painful reality of our fallen world: even the most natural and tender human relationships can sometimes fail us.

A mother's love is often considered the strongest, most unconditional love on earth. Yet even a mother can forget, abandon, or reject her own child.

But God says something extraordinary:

“Yet I will not forget you!”

In its original context, this beautiful promise was spoken to Zion — to Jerusalem and the people of Israel, who felt abandoned by God in their suffering and exile.

Zion cried out, “The LORD has forsaken me, and my Lord has forgotten me!”

But God answered with a resounding assurance of His everlasting love and faithfulness.

And although this promise was first given to Israel, I believe it also reveals something precious about the heart of God that we can hold on to in our own lives.

God has not forgotten us — even when we feel forgotten.

Even when heaven seems silent.

Even when our prayers seem to go unanswered.

Even when those who were supposed to love and protect us have failed us.

When I Thought God Had Forgotten Me

I remember a time in my own life when I felt utterly abandoned by God.

I was suffering in a deeply painful and abusive marriage. I had become so broken, discouraged, and defeated that one day I found myself standing outside a church in the pouring rain, unable even to bring myself to go inside.

I felt as though God had forgotten me in my suffering.

Where was He? Why wasn't He answering my prayers? Had He abandoned me too?

As I stood there, drenched in the rain and overwhelmed by sorrow, the pastor of that church came outside and stood beside me.

Then he spoke these words that I have never forgotten:

“Hannah, God has not forgotten you. He is going to take you around the world to share about the great things He has done for you.”

At that moment, I could scarcely imagine such a future.

I was struggling just to survive the present!

Yet those words were like a little ray of light piercing through the darkness.

And today, looking back over the years, I can testify that God was faithful!

He brought me through that terrible season of suffering and has given me opportunities to share His Word and testify of His goodness with people from many nations.

What seemed impossible in that moment of despair became a beautiful testimony of His faithfulness.

God had not forgotten me after all!

Even If My Father and Mother Forsake Me

The Psalmist David understood this same truth when he wrote:

“When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take care of me.” (Psalm 27:10, NKJV)

What a comforting promise!

There may be times when even those closest to us fail to give us the love, compassion, or protection we so desperately need.

We may experience rejection, betrayal, abandonment, or simply the painful silence of someone we thought would always be there for us.

But the love of our Heavenly Father is not like human love.

His love is steadfast, faithful, and everlasting.

The Hebrew word chesed (חֶסֶד) speaks of this beautiful quality of God's character — His covenant love, lovingkindness, mercy, and faithfulness.

And through Yeshua the Messiah, we have an even deeper assurance that we are never alone.

Yeshua promised His disciples:

“I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)

And in the book of Hebrews, we are reminded of God's promise:

“I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

Notice that God does not promise that we will never suffer, never feel lonely, or never experience rejection.

But He does promise that we will never be forgotten or abandoned by Him.

Engraved on the Palms of His Hands

There is one more beautiful detail in Isaiah's prophecy that touches my heart.

After assuring Zion that He would never forget her, God declares:

“See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me.” (Isaiah 49:16)

Imagine that!

Not merely written in ink, which can fade or be washed away, but engraved — permanently inscribed upon the palms of His hands!

The Hebrew word used here is chakak (חָקַק), meaning to engrave, carve, or inscribe.

God was assuring Zion that she would never be out of His sight or forgotten from His heart.

As a Messianic Jewish believer, I cannot read these words without also thinking of the nail-scarred hands of Yeshua.

Although Isaiah's promise speaks first of God's enduring covenant faithfulness to Zion, those wounded hands remind us of the immeasurable love that Yeshua demonstrated when He gave His life for us.

His scars are an everlasting testimony of that love.

We are not forgotten. We are deeply loved. And we are precious in His sight.

A Promise to Hold On To

As I watched that bewildered little kitten trying to understand why his mother no longer seemed to recognize him, my heart went out to him.

How sad it is when the one who once nurtured, protected, and loved us seems to turn away!

And yet, that little scene in my garden became a precious reminder of the faithfulness of our Heavenly Father.

People may forget us.

Friends may disappoint us.

Even our own mother or father may fail us.

And there may be seasons when we wonder whether God has forgotten us too.

But His Word assures us otherwise.

“Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you.”

So, dear friend, if you are going through a difficult season today, feeling abandoned, rejected, or forgotten, may you take these words to heart.

God sees you.

He knows your name.

He hears your prayers, even the ones whispered through tears.

And even when you cannot see His hand at work, you can trust His loving heart.

You are engraved upon the palms of His hands. He will never forget you!

🙏 A Prayer

Abba Father, thank You for Your unfailing love and faithfulness. Forgive us for the times when we have doubted Your love or believed that You had forgotten us in our suffering.

Heal the wounds of rejection and abandonment in our hearts, especially those caused by the people who were supposed to love and protect us.

Help us remember that Your love is greater than any human love and that Your promises never fail.

When You seem silent or distant, give us the faith to trust that You are still with us, still watching over us, and still working all things together for good.

Thank You for Yeshua our Messiah, whose outstretched hands remind us of the depth of Your love.

May we rest securely in the knowledge that we are never forgotten, never forsaken, and always precious in Your sight.

B'Shem Yeshua HaMashiach — in the name of Yeshua the Messiah. Amen.

With love and blessings from Israel,

Hannah Nesher Voice for Israel www.voiceforisrael.net