A View From The Sycamore Tree: Inscribed

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Inscribed - Isaiah 49 part 3

"But Zion said, 'The LORD has forsaken me,

and the Lord has forgotten me.'

'Can a woman forget her nursing child,

and have no compassion on the son of her womb?

Even these may forget,

but I will not forget you.

Behold, I have inscribed you

on the palms of My hands;

your walls are continually before Me."

(vs 14-16)

There are times when the circumstances of life make us question the presence and the mindfulness of God in our life. "Lord, have you forgotten me?" This temptation is, as all temptations are, common to man. Here in chapter 49 Israel is questioning God's remembrance of them. "But Zion said, 'The LORD has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me." David had these moments as well:

He says to himself, "God has forgotten; He has hidden His face." (Ps 10:11)
I will say to God my Rock, "Why have You forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?" (Ps 42:9)
Has God forgotten to be gracious? Or has He in anger withdrawn His compassion? (Ps 77:9)
My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? (Ps 22:1)

We are prone to feel forsaken. We are apt to feel forgotten. Feelings do not equal reality and our circumstances can NOT be the determining factor as to whether or not God sees, knows, and cares about us. As has already been seen in Isaiah - often the trials of this life show us just how much God does see, know and care. The refining fire is a good thing as is the loving Father's rod and reproof. He sees, knows, and cares enough to make me better and more beautiful. He loves me enough to not leave me in the things that will destroy me. If I am feeling forsaken this day due to my circumstances, perhaps I should stop and ask what dross these God-ordained trials are graciously seeking to burn off. Let me "take my thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ" and labor as a thankful aid to the flames rather than as an angry adversary of them.

We often feel forgotten and forsaken - but, O Christian, we NEVER are. Dozens of verses come to my mind even as I type those words. Today I will mediate on Isaiah's confirmation of this neverchanging fact.

"Can a woman forget her nursing child, and have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me."

I am a Christian, my salvation has been birthed by God. It is He who conceived me. It is He who plucked me out of the miry pit. It is He who saw my desperate need and loved me enough to send His Son to propitiate for my sins. It is He that began the good work in me and it is He who will carry it on to the day of completion. I am the apple of His eye. I am His chosen child. I am His eternal heir. I am His and He is mine! The Faithful and Omnisicent God has not forsaken nor forgotten - it would be impossible for Him to do so. Take your thoughts captive O ransomed and redeemed sinner!

Matthew Henry says: "Zion's suggestions were altogether groundless. God had not forsaken her, nor forgotten her, nor ever will. "You think that I have forgotten you. Can a woman forget her sucking child?" A mother cannot but be concerned for her own child; for it is a piece of herself, and very lately one with her. Yes, it is possible at times in this sinful world that she may forget. But, says God, "I will not forget you!"

"He has constant care of His church and people. He has engraven them upon the palms of His hands. This alludes to the custom of those who tie a string upon their hands or fingers to put them in mind of important things - things they never wish to forget. It also points to the wearing of a signet or locket ring in remembrance of some dear friend. God's setting them thus as a seal upon His arm denotes His setting them as a seal upon His heart, and His being ever mindful of them and of their interests."

I am EVER on His heart and mind. My days are ordained. My paths are carved. And all of them will fall out in the perfect faithfulness of my good and gracious, loving and merciful, sovereign and holy, never forgetting and never forsaking God.

Lord, You will not forget. Make me to remember!

Eternally inscribed,

Lori

No comments:

Post a Comment

Here We Go!

This is a blog about the goodness and grace of God, even amidst the angst of autism.

So ... how did this whole thing start?

Well, I said I'd never do this but obviously here I am. After being challenged, encouraged, goaded and double dog dared, several years ago I began to blog.

Near the end of 2008, I found myself with renewed passion for God's Word, Kingdom, and people and I was stirred, through nothing other than the simple means of grace, to a hunger and thirsting for righteousness unlike any other time in my 20+ years as a Christian.

During that period, I began typing out the things that were striking me the most in my quiet time each morning. Honestly, I started because I wanted to have a written record that I could pass along to my children one day - lettered Ebenezers reminding them of how much their Mom loves God and His Word.

While doing that I found myself so excited on certain days that I began to email my musings to some of my girl friends, hoping to encourage them even as Christ was encouraging me. Many of those gals challenged me to put these things online in a blog form so others could have access to them. That's how this site started.

Now, to shoot really straight with you, that personal "revival" of mine has pendumatically ebbed and flowed over the course of the days, months and years since 2008. For a prolonged period after that initial renewing surge I actually found myself in an utterly antithetical place. God, in His wisdom, was pleased to grant me a substantial season in the dark dungeon of "doubting castle" - those days were some of the hardest of my life post-Jesus but were providentially ordained days ultimately used for my good and for my God's glory.

"Through many dangers, toils, and snares I have already come" by nothing but the amazing grace of an amazing God.

I've learned that even in the midst of the darkest of days there's just something about the light of God's Word that is powerful. The Scripture has been an anchor for me in the storm surge of life. Even when my eyes have seemed to be rather veiled and my vision somewhat dimmed, there has still been a re-focusing force that has risen when I have gazed long and hard upon the Word of God. Thus, even as a saint who struggles, I continue to write of my God, my Redeemer, His promises, and His truth.

I'm not always very regular at posting here because there are many more important duties in my life right now than blog uploads - ie. being wife, mom, housekeeper, cook, taxi service, chief bottle washer, and laundry lady - along with that music thing I do as a side gig! But, as time allows I'll be cutting and pasting from Joshua and Elizabeth's future journal gift and sharing some of it with you as well.

Thanks for stopping by!

Who's Doing This?

Lori Sealy is daily amazed at the grace of God in her life. Adopted as an infant and raised in an evangelical church, she rebelled against the things of Christ during high school and considered herself an atheist. Upon entering college, the God who ordains our steps ordained that her path would cross with several students who loved Christ and loved His Word. During that first year of college, she set out to destroy the faith of these young Christians. They set out to pray for her salvation.

Knowing that "faith comes through hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ," six college students daily confronted her sin and challenged her with the truths of God's glorious Word. Their obedience in proclaiming the good news of the gospel of Christ bore fruit in August of 1988 when by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, she was adopted for the second time in her life - this time into the family of God.

Lori is now the wife of Phillip Sealy. They live in Sylva, North Carolina where Phillip has been called to plant a new church for the Presbyterian Church of America (PCA) - Redeemer Church Sylva. The Sealys have two children Joshua (14) and Elizabeth (12). Lori and Joshua both live with autism.

In her spare time (what little there is) Lori masquerades as a part-time songwriter/singer and performs on a limited monthly basis. Lori's newest CD, "The Strife is Over," has recently released. Hard copies of it, along with her last release "Begone Unbelief", are available through CD Baby and Lori's own website. Digital downloads are available through iTunes, Google Play, and Amazon mp3!

Be sure to visit http://www.lorisealy.com/ to learn more!

Why the Sycamore Tree?

Zaccheus, the wee little man, wanted to see Jesus and so he climbed into the sycamore tree in order to get a good look. Lori, the wee little wife and mom, longs to see Jesus as well. I realize that the place where I will catch a true glimpse of Him is in the pages of His Word.

The Bible is my sycamore tree and I find myself longing more and more to climb up into its branches that I might see Christ more clearly. This blog is simply a record of what God is teaching me as I spend time in "the tree" of His glorious Word. If anyone reads it I'll be amazed; if anyone profits from it I'll be humbled; and if anything good is found in it Soli Deo Gloria!