Thoughts for Life: GOD WON'T FORGET YOU

~Karen Huang- As a child, I collected postage stamps. When my angkong (Fukienese for "grandfather") heard of my hobby, he started saving stamps from his office mail every day. Whenever I visited my grandparents, Angong would give me an envelope filled with a variety of beautiful stamps. "Even though I'm always busy," he told me once, "I won't forget you." (Google image, Stamp collection)

Angkong 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!" (Isaiah 49:15). God's love for His people hadn't changed. He promised them forgiveness and restoration (vv. 8-13).

"I have engraved you on the palms of my hands," God told Israel, as He also tells us today (v16). As I ponder His words of reassurance, it reminds me so deeply of Jesus' nail-scarred hands—stretched out in love for us and for our salvation (John 20:24-27).

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.

Father, thank You for Your constand love and presence."

Let's Pray-

Father, as Karen recalled her grandfather's words of love, may we also remember that You will not forget us, though You're busy with all the world's activities and peoples.

You've shown your love towards Israel and us, by declaring that You won't forget us. You've engraved us on the palms of the nail-scared Hands of Christ Jesus to provide forgiveness and restoration—stretched out in love for us and for our salvation.

Though Karen's grandfather didn't show his love in displays of affection, she knew that he loved her deeply through his saving the stamps for her from his mail.

May we be thankful for Your Love too, that You've demonstrated for us through Christ and through all the creation You made for us to enjoy. It's In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

#35 Testimony- Chrissy

I was traveling down a back road to cut over to my house, when I saw this woman in her mid twenties walking with a backpack. I passed by her thinking, I'm too old to pick up a hitchhiker. God wouldn't let me ignore this.

I couldn't shake the feeling. I FELT THE CALL, to be a love-witness for Christ! So, as I

pulled into my drive, I ran in quickly to get groceries for her. Then I turned my car back to where I saw her. I came across a fork in the road. Should I turn left or right? I bargained with the Lord, I said, "If this is your voice, I will take the turn that will take me to her."

Sure enough there she was. I pulled up, got out of my car, and approached her. I explained that I would help her.

She let me pray for her on the road side. She then told me where she wanted to get to.

It was way out of my way. I was pretty tired, but I followed this strong urging of the Holy Spirit. I was able to give her the things I'd brought, and I took her to the store so she could get the medicine she needed, as she was sick. She then told me of her addiction, and had lost custody of her children.

I told her of places that she could go to get clean, spiritually and physically. I told her of a church too, where she could get spiritual help. I urged her to do this for her children, that she wouldn't gain custody back unless she stabilized her life.

Some would say I was crazy that it was futile. But remembering a dream I had about the whole thing, and the prayer that I gave a few months before, I'm convinced that I did the right thing.

I'm reminded of the song, " Reckless love".

Recommended Reading-

THE WEAPONS OF YOUR WARFARE

By Larry Lea

"Seek God as your first priority, your spiritual reveille every morning. Learn how to march in victory, praying your covenant promises before God, standing on your faith as He directs your steps, and praising Him with a loud voice.
Resolve witin you that the battle is worth winning. . . Be God's warrior in this hour!"

1201-1205 One-line Scriptures for those of you who want to learn some more verses this week- or to review them from when they were first posted-

1201- Ecc. 5:2c "Let thy words be few."

1202- Is. 40:10a "Behold, the Lord God will come with a strong hand."

1203- Ps. 102:2c "In the day when I call answer me speedily."

1204- Is. 55:12a "For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace."

1205- Ecc. 9:17a "The words of wise men are heard in quiet."

#35 Hymn- The Solid Rock

~ Edward More was born into poverty on Jan. 21,1797, in London. His parents, innkeepers, wouldn't allow a Bible in their house, but somehow Edward heard the gospel as a teenager and came to Christ.

One morning it came into his mind to write a hymn on the 'Gracious Experience of a Christian.' As He went up to Holborn, he had the chorus: On Christ the solid Rock I stand / All other ground is sinking sand. In that day he had four verses completed and wrote them down.

On the Sabbath following, He met brother King, who informed him that his wife was very ill, and asked him to call and see her. He shared the verses that were in his pocket, and asked if he could sing them to her. She enjoyed them so much that he was asked to leave a copy of them for his wife.

He went home and composed the last two versies, wrote them off and took them to sister King . . . As these verses so met the dying woman's case, his attention to them was the more arrested, and he had a thousand printed for distribution.

Some encouraging words-

~ The tests and trials of life come the same way that gold and silver are refined by fire; to purify our hearts.

~ "Although our physical bodies will fail, we can remain confident that the truth and hope of salvation we hold inside is secure. The Lord is our strength and our portion forever." Emily Marszalek

Upcoming posts:

5/11- PRACTICAL PRINCIPLES OF GIVING- Billie Hanks Jr.

18th- DADA LOVES YOU- Cameron Miller

25th-EMMINENT PRESENCE- Anne Adams

Jean's blog (Click to see snippets of the 7 recent posts)