“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).
Can a mother really forget her baby? Today, you read of such shocking stories in the newspaper:
“Crying infant found in trash can…”
“Teenage mother abandons newborn…”
“Mother murders her child in a fit of rage…”
These kinds of stories break the heart of any reader. Abandonment. Desertion. Rejection. An innocent child destroyed or forsaken by a selfish mother.
God is not like that. He is a God of compassion. He declares, “Though she may forget, I will not forget you!” God will not abandon you or cast you aside. He will be with you no matter what you have done.
Not only that, your name is engraved in the palm of his hand. Can you imagine? There, engraved in the palm of God’s hand is “Russell Lee Pond.” And, so is your name.
Did you ever write things in the palm of your hand? Love notes, phone numbers, formulas for your math test? Sometimes they were notes of affection. Other times, they were reminders.
In the palm of God’s hand is a reminder of his love towards you. It’s not written in ink, which can rub off or smear. It is engraved in the palm of his hand. Everyday, he sees that reminder.
I can just picture God reading your name in his hand and pulling his arms up against his chest saying, “Oh, how I love this child of mine.” I can imagine the emotion, the joy that fills your Father’s heart when he thinks of you, his precious child.
When you feel abandoned or rejected, when you feel all alone, look at the palm of your hand. Remember that God has your name etched in his.
Prayer: Father, thank you that you will never leave me nor forsake me. As you have carved my name on your palm, write your name on my heart, that all who see me may know that I am your child.
