God’s faithfulness to Israel in times past is an encouragement to God’s people today.  Listen to what God told His people of old through the prophet Isaiah. 

Isaiah 44:21-22 (ESV)
²¹  Remember these things, O Jacob, and Israel, for you are my servant; I formed you; you are my servant; O Israel, you will not be forgotten by me. ²²  I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you. 

These words were spoken to the physical nation of Israel.  It is too bad they did not move them as they should have.  Israel never returned to God from their sins and as a result, paid the price of captivity in a strange land.

Since God is the same today as He was yesterday, these words still apply to us, spiritual Israel.  If you ever tragically leave God, you should remember what God said to His people of old.

God formed us.  We are His creation, not just from a physical standpoint, but spiritually as well.  Paul said that we are new creatures in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).  We should remember why God created us.

Ephesians 2:10 (ESV)
¹⁰  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Doing the works that God created us to do, primarily to serve Him and keep His commandments, will keep us from drifting away from Him.

What allowed us to become new creatures in Christ?  It was the blotting out of our transgressions.  Nothing greater ever happened to us than the removal of our sins.  Quoting David, Paul wrote, “Blessed are those who lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count sin” (Romans 4:7-8).  What did it take for God to not count our sins against us?  One thing we know is that God did not just ignore our sins.  His righteousness would not allow Him to do that.  Instead, He sacrificed His one and only Son so that we could be redeemed by His blood.

We sometimes sing, “What can wash my sins away? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.”   No truer words have ever been written.  Our only hope of redemption was the willingness of our Savior, an innocent, sinless man, to die in our stead.  Only then could God forget our lawless deeds and forgive our sins.  God’s message to Jacob and His plea to Israel was to remember and return to Him.  If we ever leave Christ, God’s message would be the same for us – “return to me.”

It is comforting to know that even when we sin, and even when we make the unfortunate decision to continue in that sin for a while, God does not forget us.  God assured Israel, “You will not be forgotten by me,” and that is our assurance as well.  This should emphasize to us the gracious character of God and the love that He has for us.

God will not write us off until He absolutely has to do it.  It is marvelous to know that God is thinking about us even when we are not acting right.  He wants us to repent and return, and, just as He is pictured in the parable of the Prodigal Son, He waiting and watching and will greet us with open arms if we come back.  Knowing this about God should encourage us never to leave Him in the first place.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.