Isaiah 49:15–16 (ESV)
“Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands…”
There are seasons in the Christian life when God seems silent, when prayers feel unanswered, and our hearts quietly wonder, “Has He forgotten me?” Maybe it’s in the long nights of sorrow, the daily weight of a trial, or the sting of loneliness. Yet into that very ache, the Lord speaks a tender and thunderous “No.”
“Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.” The Lord compares His care to that of a mother with her nursing infant—a picture of one of the deepest human bonds of love and tenderness. And yet He says His love goes even further. A mother may fail. God never will.
How do we know He means it? “Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.” Not written with ink. Not penciled in to be erased. Engraved. Cut in. Permanent. Irreversible. This is no passing affection—it is a covenantal, steadfast, sacrificial love.
And for those of us in Christ, how much more deeply do we see this truth fulfilled? On the cross, our names were not just engraved figuratively—they were borne by the Son of God as nails pierced His hands. Christ, our great High Priest, carries His people not only in His memory but in His wounds. He was forsaken so we never would be.
So, beloved, when the days grow long and your heart grows faint, look to the hands of your Savior. You are not forgotten. You are blood-bought, eternally loved, and held fast in the sovereign grip of grace.
Rest in this today: His hands remember what your heart sometimes forgets.
Reflection
Take a quiet moment to ask yourself: Where am I tempted to believe that God has forgotten me? What burdens have I been carrying alone, assuming He is distant or uninterested?
Let the Word correct your weary heart. God’s memory does not fade. His promises do not fail. Your name is known in heaven, and your life is hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3). His nail-pierced hands are the everlasting proof.
Prayer
Father in Heaven,
Thank You that You are a God who never forgets, never forsakes, never turns Your face away in indifference. Forgive me for the times I doubt Your nearness, for the moments I let my feelings speak louder than Your Word.
Thank You for Jesus—whose hands bear the mark of Your unfailing love. Teach my heart to rest in Your promises and not in my circumstances. Help me to trust You when the way is dark, and to remember that I am Yours, sealed and kept by grace.
Hold me fast, O Lord. And help me to live today as one who is never forgotten.
In Christ’s precious name,
Amen.