See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands. – Isaiah 49:15­16 (NIV)

When my daughter was in high school, she often came home with inked scribbles covering her hand.

“Jaime,” I asked her one day, “what did you do to your hand?”

She held out her hand for me to see. “Take gym clothes,” read one message. “Call Sharon” read another.

“I write notes to myself on my hand because that way I know I won’t forget,” she explained. “It’s always in front of me.”

I write notes to myself, too, but my method isn’t as efficient as hers. Sticky notes and scraps of paper tend to get lost in the shuffle of everyday living, or I just plain forget to look at them. And I’m too old fashioned to get in the habit of using my use my cellphone for reminders.

Maybe I should consider using Jaime’s method of reminding myself of important things, as I’m getting older and my brain feels like a cluttered room.

It’s a good thing God doesn’t forget us, even though at times we may feel forsaken.

When the Israelites were sent into exile because of their repeated refusal to obey God’s laws, God, through the prophet Isaiah, assured them that He would not forget them: “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!” (Isaiah 49:15 NIV).

Even though at times I may feel that God has forgotten me, I need to remind myself that my faith is not based on my feelings, which change with every passing moment.

Faith is believing that God is with me, even though I can’t see Him, hear Him, or sense His presence. My faith is based on the unchanging Word of God Himself, who says, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5 NIV). “See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands (Isaiah 49:16 NIV).

Wow!

Remind me, O God, when I’m feeling forsaken and alone, that I am always before You. Amen.

Extra tea: Read and meditate on Psalm 139