You are not forgotten

By Jenny Glazebrook

I don't know about you, but sometimes I feel like there are so many books out there that my work has been lost in sea of titles. And it's easy to feel forgotten.

When editing is taking way longer than you expected, when no one seems to be buying your book, when no agent responds, when no publisher wants your work, when everyone recommends each other’s books but forget yours, when authors are given speaking engagements or asked to present workshops but no one remembers to ask you …

What is happening?

Are you invisible?

Are you forgotten?

Not by God. Our God is the God who remembers. Many times in the Bible when we read about God's people we hear the words, 'The Lord remembered ...' 

Not in the sense that God had forgotten, but that the Lord had always maintained his love and care and it was now time for Him to take action on behalf of His chosen, beloved child.

Here are some of the people 'God remembered':

Noah – God remembered Noah in the ark even though Noah waited so many months seemingly doing nothing. Yet God knew the environment was not yet right for Noah to emerge into the open. 

And then at the right time, the Lord brought him out of the ark and into a beautiful new covenant.

Abraham – God remembered Abraham, a humble man who allowed his nephew to take the best land and didn't fight to be great. God gave Abraham as many descendants as the stars and at the right time, made his name great - (note: his name became greater after he had died. More people now know about Abraham than knew about him when he lived).

Joseph – God remembered Joseph in prison, even though only prisoners knew of his character and gifts. And then, at the right time, the Lord lifted him up and gave him a position of respect and authority.

Children of Israel – They had become slaves. They felt abandoned. But at the right time God 'remembered them' by taking action and leading them out of Egypt as His own chosen nation. Then God allowed the children of Israel to wander in the desert, to seemingly be going in circles, but during that time they were learning and growing. God remembered His covenant with them and brought them into the promised land. 

Hannah – God remembered Hannah, a woman who felt forgotten, whose husband's other wife competed with her, put her down, made her feel less valuable. And yet, the wait and the longing meant that when Hannah did give birth to a son, she realised what a true gift it was and dedicated him to the Lord. The wait increased the value of the gift God had given.

David – God remembered David whose promised future seemed impossible. Annointed a king, he was now a fugitive, living in caves. But at the right time, the Lord brought him out to be seen by the world to be a great king; a man after God's own heart who had learned to trust the Lord with his life.

Paul – Stuck in jail, Paul just wanted to minister and preach the Gospel. He had so many words to express, to put out there into his generation. His time in waiting led him to write letters - letters which did bless the people of his time, but more than he would have imagined, hundreds of generations of believers to come.

Jesus – In agony on the cross, Jesus called out, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ He felt alone, abandoned at the point when the greatest miracle, the greatest moment of all time was about to happen. Sin and death would be conquered for eternity.

God remembers.

Take heart. Our God, in His everlasting love, remembers you. And at the right time, He will take action on your behalf and bring to light all that He has been preparing you to do for His glory. Maybe for this generation. Maybe for generations to come. Every one of us has a destiny to fulfil. And God remembers. Because He was the one who created it, He is the one who chose you before the foundation of the world.

So remember ....

You are not forgotten!

 Jenny Glazebrook lives in the country town of Gundagai with her husband, Rob and 4 children along with many pets. She is the published author of 7 novels, 1 traditionally published, and 6 self published. She writes because words burn within her. She is an experienced inspirational speaker and loves to encourage others to walk closer with God and hear His voice each day.  Jenny’s website is: www.jennyglazebrook.com