Isaiah 49

Summary For any relationship to thrive, giving time and showing commitment are crucial. To develop a skill it takes time and commitment. What We Need Commitment and relationship - both to give it and to have others give it to us. We long for security, love, and compassion which only come when we have someone give us full commitment. We want a community where everyone is together and united. We also need to reciprocate for such a relationship to thrive. Why We Can’t The sad reality is that we feel forgotten and deserted. Community feels scattered and we don’t feel a sense of security. We feel the threats around us and conflict comes so quickly. It feels that no one fully commits to others and things quickly fall apart. Why Jesus Can God is committed. Even when we feel a lack of commitment, he promises to be faithful. He promises that he will never forget and never abandon us (verses 15-16). God’s new covenant is built on the assurance that God will achieve what we couldn’t. The new covenant involves God’s rescuing the trapped, restoring the weak, and retrieving the lost. God’s commitment reaches beyond boundaries inviting people from all nations. God unites and gathers those who are broken and hurt by abandonment. Jesus is the One who demonstrated God’s full commitment at the expense of his own rejection and abandonment. He is totally committed to us, being betrayed and abandoned by his friends. How We Live Now Jesus inspires us to live in commitment to God and to our community. As we realise that he was rejected for us, we would not allow anyone else to feel excluded. We constantly remember the one who remembered us. We commit to the one who is fully committed to us.