How to Trust the Lord When Your Life Falls Apart ናሙና

God Does Not Forget You

I only saw my dad for five minutes each month. My relationship with my dad was complicated. In time, I found out that my father had another family. Finally, I understood whyour meetings were practically secret—he had hidden me from his other family for 14 years.

I was exposed to my dad's family through my uncles. And a year later, I had one of the most difficult conversations of my life.

When my dad learned I had met my uncles, he said to me, “Why did you meet my family without my permission? You don't have permission to get into my life. You have to understand that you are a mistake."

From that day on, I struggled with deep-rooted insecurity. Each day I told myself I was a mistake.

But how could I be a mistake? I didn’t ask to be born. I started hating my father and, unconsciously, God too. I felt unloved. I felt forgotten. How can God love me and, at the same time, allow this? How is God good if my earthly father can so easily forget me?

Maybe you feel forgotten in your current situation too. God once said to the prophet Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5, NIV).

God had personal knowledge of Jeremiah before he was born. He also had personal knowledge of you and me. Just like Jeremiah, God has a purpose for our lives that he appointed us to before we were born.

God hasn’t forgotten you. You’re not a mistake. God has a plan and purpose for you, even if your circumstances try and say otherwise.

Today, my relationship with my father, both heavenly and earthly, is restored. While the journey was difficult, God had a plan of restoration already in place. Romans 8:28 (NIV) says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Even if your circumstances feel overwhelming, God is a good father. He still has a plan for your life that’s good. And even if you feel alone now, you can rest knowing that he knows exactly where you are. You’re not forgotten!

Scripture: Jeremiah 1:5, Romans 8:28