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.
But Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me.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.
Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me." - Isa. 49:13-16.
Years ago when I was a young single adult college student, I had been very active in the University Ward in the city where I lived. I was teaching early-morning seminary, serving in the Latter-day Saint Student Association, and had a calling as a stake missionary.
I had a fair amount of friends and was not hurting for involvement in any social activities. However, I was in my mid-20s and still unmarried. It seemed to me that the right person was never going to come along. As I got older, I became more lonely even though I was surrounded by my friends.
As the months went by, more and more of them seemed to be getting married. Why wasn't it working out that way in my life?
Late one night, I was driving home and stopped at a park near my house. In the darkness of the night, I kneeled near a tree, bowed my head, and poured out my soul to God. My heart wept as I explained my loneliness to the Lord. I couldn't understand why He had forsaken me.
As I pled for help, a calmness enveloped my whole being. With no more reassurance than that, I arose from my knees feeling comforted. I drove home and prior to retiring to bed, I read my scriptures. I was reading in the Book of Isaiah when I came upon the verse mentioned above. The words were powerful and I felt as though the Lord was speaking directly to me.
He had not forsaken me but knew of my heartache and loneliness; my trials really were continually before Him. I knew then he would not leave me comfortless.
