God Won’t Forget You

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Our reading, titled God Won't Forget You, was written by Karen Huang. As a child, I collected postage stamps. When my aung kong, vu ganese for grandfather, heard of my hobby, he started saving stamps from his office mail every day. Whenever I visited my grandparents, aung kong would give me an envelope filled with a variety of beautiful stamps. Even though I'm always busy, he once told me, I won't forget you.

Aung kong wasn't given to overt displays of affection, but I felt his love deeply. In an infinitely deeper way, God demonstrated his love toward Israel when he declared, I will not forget you, in Isaiah chapter 49. Suffering in Babylon for idolatry and disobedience in days past, his people lamented, the Lord has forgotten me. But God's love for his people hadn't changed. He promised them forgiveness and restoration. I have engraved you on the palms of my hands, God told Israel, as he also tells us today. As I ponder his words of reassurance, it reminds me so deeply of Jesus's nail-scarred hands, stretched out in love for us and for our salvation. Like my grandfather's stamps and his tender words, God holds out his forgiving hand as an eternal token of his love. Let's thank him for his love, an unchanging love. He will never forget us. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Isaiah chapter 49, verses 13 through 18. Shout for joy you heavens, rejoice you earth, burst into song you mountains, for the Lord comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones. But Zion said, the Lord has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me.

Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she is born? 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. Your children hasten back and those who laid you waste depart from you.

Lift up your eyes and look around. All your children gather and come to you as surely as I live, declares the Lord. You will wear them all as ornaments.

You will put them on like a bride. Let's pray. Father, thank you for your unchanging love. Fill us with a constant sense of your presence wherever we may go. Thank you, Lord. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening today. My name is Brenna Holzclaw and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.