Isa 49:13-17
13 Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth;
and break forth into singing, O mountains:
for the Lord hath comforted his people,
and will have mercy upon his afflicted.
14 But Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me,
and my Lord hath forgotten me.
15 Can a woman forget her sucking child,
that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.
16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands;
thy walls are continually before me.
17 Thy children shall make haste,
thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall go forth of thee.
Have you ever felt like God has forgotten you? I had been feeling that way for a while, because I couldn’t find a job. It was very disheartening to me, because I have a thing about having something to show for what I have achieved during my day, and there was little to show for it. I also hated the continual rejection of my resumes – it made me feel worthless. (Now, I know that I am not supposed to get my identity from what I do, but I’m just being honest. )
Maybe you’ve been praying for something and it hasn’t happened. Maybe God has you in a season of solitude or inactivity. Maybe you just want a sign that God is still there and acknowledges your existence. Whatever it may be, you just feel forgotten.
That is why Isaiah 49:15 is so comforting to me. He has come right out and said He will never forget me, no matter what. That statement comes right after He repeats what Israel has been thinking: that she has been forgotten. For those of you who are mothers, His imagery of a baby breastfeeding really brings the point home.
When my children were little, I would have recurring dreams that I had left the house for some reason and had forgotten the children, leaving them alone at the house. I would wake up sick to my stomach at the thought that I could possibly do that. However, I never ever feared forgetting a child that was breastfeeding. Why? Because that would be an impossibility. It was connected to me, and I could never forget its presence while it was literally connected to my body.
And we are always connected to Him, never separated by distance or any earthly or spiritual division. I love the following scripture also, which points out that even if we are faithless, He cannot deny us, because we are a part of Him.
2Ti 2:13
13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.
We cannot believe our erratic feelings. We must choose to believe the word of God. And the word clearly says He will not forget, forsake or leave us – ever!
Penny Haynes
http://ChristianWomenWithDepression.com
Hi Penny,
Thank you again for sharing your wisdom with us. I’m just wondering if anyone out there has ever also felt angry in addition to being sad, lonely, and all the other feelings that come with depression. I had a really rough morning – fought with my daughter and my husband, and driving into work the all familiar feelings of worthlessness surrounded me. But I also felt angry – with myself, my family, my life in general. I know that I haven’t been a great example of a Christian woman… I’m just so unhappy all the time. I didn’t (and still don’t) really want to be around anyone right now until all of these angry and just plain yucky feelings pass. Thoughts on how to get out of the slump? Thank you…
J, yes, I have dealt with anger. I’m much quicker to snap at my husband or daughter when I’m aggravated. Little things tick me off, as opposed to when I feel good, I just shrug things off.
It is a very good question, though. I haven’t thought about that aspect much. I avoid angry feelings like the plague most of the time, because it makes me feel like I’m a “bad” person. I have also historically had a fear of others, particularly people in authority, being angry at me. I’ll ask the rest of the ladies in our Facebook group to respond to your question as well.
Maybe we snap at them specifically so they will leave us the heck alone, because that’s what we actually want at that moment? Or maybe we just don’t care at that time? For me, I’ve snapped when I felt like I was carrying more of the load at home, or wasn’t being treated nicely.
Hello J~
OH MY YES! I can totally relate to all of those feelings and more. Whenever I am in the pit, miserable, etc…I feel fearful, worthless, sad, unlovable, frustrated, lonely and often MAD! Not sure what the source of my anger is, though after writing those feelings mentioned above, it’s no wonder I feel mad. We are not made to feel this way, we are meant to be content in Christ. For myself, I think that I may be angry just because I’m so sick & tired of feeling all of those negative feelings. My fuse is so short when I’m down, my computer running slowly can make me want to smash it. When I have been immersing myself in scripture, praying continuously and keeping my gratitude journal I am not angry, patient and thankful. It’s an avalanche in my mind when I’m down, and it’s a rapid decline. The book “Battlefield of the Mind” has been my go to book for over 10 years. Don’t feel alone, you are not.
Thank you both for your replies… it helps simply knowing that I’m not alone in these feelings. I just joined your group on FB, so you’ll be seeing more of me there. Blessings!
So glad you are joining us!
Hi, I seen you had joined the FB page and Penny’s request to comment here. I want to say welcome and to tell you that I too get angry and i take it out on the one closest to me. He doesnt deserve it but I make him feel he cant do anything right. It is my frustration building up and i know it’s not right. I have calmed down over the years. I use to curse and throw things. Shamedly I even us to strike out physically. I remember the first time I took antidepressant meds was because of an outburst I was so ashamed of. I think the meds did help but as Terri said getting your head in the right place is so important…before those moods escalate. I had a lady describe it like a giant snowball that picks up dirt and debris as it rolls down the hill. If we don’t stop that snowball affect it will turn into a big mess. I think (and I often am guilty of not doing this) putting more of God’s word, prayer, worship(music) into our lifes can change our attitudes. I pray for God to encourage you. I don’t and haven’t always felt like an example of a Christian woman either. He still loves us and won’t give up on us.
Terri, I’ve thought of getting that book “Battlefield of the Mind” before but never did. Now I feel encouraged to read it. Thank you.