During seminary, I worked in a nursing home. As I spent time talking to
these men and women, at some point nearly every patient would describe the
loneliness of their present lives and the realization that they were outliving
their peers. Most wondered if anyone would remember them when they passed from
this life.
It isn’t just the elderly who can feel lonely and forgotten. In fact,
many of us feel trapped and alone, set aside by circumstances fair and unfair.
Sometimes we even experience what the Old Testament character Joseph did:
people failing to remember us when there’s every reason they should.
Genesis 40 describes Joseph’s experiences as he’s trapped in prison. The
cupbearer had been freed and returned to the king’s service, just as Joseph
told him would happen (vv.9-13). Joseph had asked to be mentioned to Pharaoh,
but the cupbearer forgot him (vv.14,23).
We may feel forgotten. Yet, like Joseph, we are not (42:9-13). Jesus
sits at the right hand of God, and our prayers reach the throne of the King
without fail because our Savior is our Mediator. When we feel alone, let’s
remember to rest in the confidence of Jesus’ promise to be with us forever
(Matt. 28:20).
God never abandons or forgets His own. (RBC)
