MARCH '24

 

For Whitney, 

my first "grown-up" friend.  

 

Whitney was the first real friend I made after moving back to Huntsville in 2013.  I heard someone say once that "as an adult, you get to choose your friends."  I'm so thankful we chose to be friends with each other.  You've been with me through some really hard seasons, and have always encouraged me to look to God's word.  I think of you as my sister & am so grateful for you.  Love you bunches!

Isaiah 49:15-16

"Can a mother forget her nursing child or have no compassion for the child of her womb? Even if these forget, I will not forget you!  See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands..."

Our verse this month comes right after the following:

"Shout of joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; burst into song, O 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."  -Isaiah 49:13-14

Have you ever felt that?  Forsaken? Forgotten?  Right in the middle of a verse about how God brings comfort and compassion, they cry out that they feel forgotten.  Instead of putting them in their place with a harsh voice, God demonstrates His compassion through His reply...

"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 you engraved on the palms of my hands.  Your walls are ever before me."

Rabbits are known to be quick, skittish creatures - which serves them well in the wild.  They are good mothers & care for their babies well- feeding them in the midnight hours and taking special care to intentionally draw away any potential predators from the nest. 

Yet, even in her "good parenting," God does it better.  Baby bunnies are born without a smell.  This helps them survive their time in the nest and serves as protection until they are able to dart away quickly from a predator.  Even in her "good parenting" a mother bunny can't provide 100% of what those babies need.  So God fills in the gap through eliminating smell as a factor in their young lives.

It causes me to wonder about your mother.  Did she strive to give you what you needed?  Or were you left wanting, in need, and alone?

God compares Himself to a mother in these verses.  So we can't go any further without saying, this verse is true for you - regardless of your experience with your earthly mom.  God starts off with saying, "Can a mother forget?"  

Unfortunately, some mothers do forget - either from an addiction or a disease they didn't choose - some mothers do forget.  So God is quick to say, "Though she may forget, I [God] will not forget you!"

So about your mother, let us say this:

If she was wonderful, God is better.  

If she was awful, God is better.  

If she was somewhere in between, God is better.

If you never knew her, God is better.

In light of that, we must now ask the question of how.  How He is better?

He is compassionate.

Can a mother lack compassion for the child of her womb?

"But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness." - Psalm 86:15

"When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So He began teaching them many things." - Mark 6:34

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing." - Matthew 23:37

"The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.  The LORD is good to all; He has compassion on all He has made." - Psalm 145:8-9

He does not forget you.

Can a mother forget? ... Even if these forget, I will not forget you?

"Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." - Joshua 1:9

"You who fear Him, trust in the LORD- He is their help and shield.  The LORD remembers us and will bless us; He will bless the house of Israel, He will bless the house of Aaron." - Psalm 11:11-12
*As Gentiles, we are grafted in to the family of Israel (See Romans 11).

"And I will ask the Father and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever- the Spirit of truth.  The world cannot accept Him because it neither sees Him nor knows Him, but you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you.  I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." - Jesus 

John 14:15-18

"...and surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." - Jesus

Matthew 28:20

You are inscribed on the palm of His hand.

See, I have inscribed you on the palm of My hands.

"When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified Him..." - Luke 23:33

This meant, depending on the method used, they either put nails in His hands and tied his arms to the cross or nails went into arms (likely near the wrists) between the radius and ulna.  Either way, He had nails put in His "hand."  It is my personal belief that the following scriptures indicate that Jesus, in His resurrected form, has scars from the crucifixion- this would include scars on His hand...

 John's gospel tells us that Thomas was not with the disciples when Jesus appeared to them after His resurrection.  (see John 20:24).

"...but [Thomas] said to [the disciples] "unless I see the nail marks in His hands...I will not believe it."  A week later, the disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them.  Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!"  The He said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see My hands, reach out your hand and put it into My side.  Stop doubting and believe." -John 20:25-27

Thomas gets a bad rap in the Western church as "doubting Thomas," but I must admit I really love his interaction with Jesus here.  Jesus has risen from the grave, appeared to the other disciples (who, by the way, didn't believe the women that first went to the tomb - Luke 24:11) and now He makes a special trip to see His beloved Thomas.  Read and study it for yourself, but I don't hear condemnation from Jesus.  Instead, I hear love.  I hear Jesus saying, "you are doubting Me, I know that.  Instead of abandoning you in your doubt, I'm going to draw closer.  Here, let me show you My hands.  Put your hand here- feel the scars.  Stop doubting and believe."

Thomas, in response to Jesus doing this, cries out "my Lord and my God!"  (John 20:28).

"Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." - John 20:29

Again, please read and study scripture for yourself.  I could be wrong- but...

I can't help but think that the prophet Isaiah was speaking of the crucifixion.  If you are in Christ, you are literally tattooed on Jesus' hands.  Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:3, "...Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures..."

He died for you.

He died for me.

I probably like Thomas so much because I identify with his struggles.  I wonder if you can identify with him too.  The good news is, the great news is, "God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him." - John 3:17

He is compassionate towards you.

He will never forget you.

You are inscribed on the palm of His hand.

Easter falls on March 31 this year. 

So, Happy Resurrection Day.
He is risen.
He is risen, indeed.