“The Lord Hath Forsaken Me”

(Isa. 49:14)

The shepherd is so constantly with his sheep that sometimes his life with them becomes monotonous. Therefore he will occasionally play with them. He does this by pretending to run away from his sheep, and they will soon overtake him, and completely surround him, gamboling with great delight. Sometimes God’s people think He forsakes them when trouble comes their way. They say: “The Lord hath forsaken me” (Isa. 49:14). But actually their divine Shepherd says to them: “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Heb. 13:5).

(Fred H. Wight, Manners and Customs of Bible Lands [Chicago: Moody Press, 1953], 158.)