Isaiah 49:15-16
“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.” Isaiah 49:15-16 NIV
What a picture. God speaking to His people, in the Old Testament specifically here, and He uses this imagery, He says, “I’ve engraved you on the palms of my hands.” Those who have trusted in Christ have nothing to fear, for God is our Helper; He promises to uphold us. What does that mean? When you think about, I mean even today, it’s not altogether different from Old Testament times, I mean think about a tattoo that somebody gets on their skin, and that’s something that they’re saying, I want that to be fixed on me for as long as I live. Where I constantly remember this one thing, and I constantly look at this one thing, and my attention’s drawn to this one thing, because it’s on me. And if you think about it, something like that on your hand, I mean, you see it all the time. And so God says about His people, “I have engraved you on the palms of my hands,” and He uses those words after that, “Your walls are continually before me,” so that basically, He’s saying to His people, I don’t forget you. I’m committed to you. Everything that I’m doing, I’m thinking about you. I’m caring for you. I have you at the forefront of my mind, my heart, and all that I’m doing. These are glorious words, that when we think about God’s love for us in Christ, so yes, we’re not the people of God in Isaiah 49:16 specifically, with walls that are continually before God, but the picture is in our lives. We know that God has called us His children. We’re His sons and daughters. We belong to Him. We’ve seen these kind of pictures all over Isaiah, and there is a sense in which we know that God has us always before Him, like He’s thinking about us, you and me. The Lord has engraved us on the palms of His hands. That means no weapon formed against us shall prosper. The enemy might attack things and people might be coming against us, but they will not break us. Our lives have been engraved through the blood of our Lord and Savoir Jesus Christ. It was our loving Father Himself Who formed us, in secret, in our mother's womb and scheduled each day of our life. It was our gracious Saviour Who suffered such agonies and labored, in love, on the Cross for us, to redeem us from our sins and make us His Bride. And it was the Holy Spirit of love Who wooed us and challenged us, convicted and finally breathed new life into our fallen frames, birthing us into God's family, and enlightening us with the abundance of His life. No matter what difficulties you or I are experiencing in our lives, let us take to heart the truth these gracious words remind us that there is nothing in heaven, on earth, or under the earth that can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus, nothing that will ever cause the Lord to forget us!!!
Father thank You for this day and for being engraved and held in Your hands. Lord let Your abundant blessings be my friend and family’s portion today. Lord we praise Your wonderful goodness and Your gracious compassion. Lord what comfort we have in the promise that You will never forget us. Lord Your promises of love are new every morning, great is Thy faithfulness. Lord use my friend to love others today as you love them. Daddy we love You amen. Be a blessing. Love ya !!
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