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Isaiah 49:16a – See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands. (NIV)
I find it rather embarrassing these days that when I go to greet someone whom I have known for ages, suddenly her name is gone from my mind. It is especially annoying when I am in the middle of an introduction and I draw a blank. I know that the name will come back to me within a few seconds, but by then, the individual will have graciously supplied the elusive name. Perhaps, it bothers me so much because it's a matter of pride: I don't want my friends to think less of me, although most of them are in the same boat, so to speak. Perhaps, I feel some resentment at the loss because I used to be so proud of my memory. I even considered it to be semi-photographic, since I could read a page of notes one or two times when studying for examinations, and when it was time to write them, I could see the actual pages in my mind. As a result, I aced most of them, and I was always proud to glow in the compliments that I received from everyone. To be very honest, in retrospect, I think that it gave me a sense of superiority, although I wouldn't have admitted it then.
As I pondered these thoughts, the Lord began to speak to my heart, and I realized how egotistical that made me sound. I really couldn't take any credit for this gift of the excellent memory that God had given me for His purpose, namely that of glorifying Him, not me. In His mercy, He allowed me to use this memory to help achieve a good education, which in turn, helped me to attain the desire of my heart, that of becoming a teacher. In this capacity, I have had countless opportunities to share Jesus.
I sat in humble silence as the truth of Romans 8:28 dawned on me once again: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (NIV)
Then, as I thought again about forgetting names, it came to me that I can be thankful that I can still remember my own name. And far more importantly, should I ever forget it, I have the comforting knowledge that my heavenly Father knows my name.
In the words of the Maranatha Singers:
- He knows my name,
He knows my every thought.
He sees each tear that falls,
And hears me when I call.
With these words of assurance in mind, instead of wasting my time and limited energy complaining, I am attempting to concentrate on enjoying the rest of the journey to my heavenly mansion. I realize that we are not all at the same place in this adventure, but we know that we all have the same loving Lord to walk beside us, and this is the confidence to keep uppermost in our mind.
Prayer: Father, give us the grace to obey Your words, "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV) We know from experience that in obedience lies peace. Amen.
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Isn’t it the truth!!!
Good one – er… what’s yer name?
I thought for a moment I had written this, haha. Good thoughts.
Amazing how close this Daily Devotion hits home. Thank you.
Thank you Sharon for sharing this lesson drawn from your own life. Blessings.
Thanks Sharon – exactly what I needed this morning!
Blessings.
Thank you, Sharon for today’s meditation. You really spoke to my heart. I have felt beset by many tests all at once and these inspirational words and the scriptures have given me peace.
Thank you for your devotional, Sharon!
I too, struggle with memory loss at the most inopportune times… comes with getting older. Like you, I am so thankful that we have a loving Father who will always remember our name.
Blessings to you.
My sincere thanks for your devotion this morning. It is, indeed, a blessing to me and especially helps me the way I am feeling this morning.
The Biblical quotes are most timely.
I am finding this aging process difficult and am thankful for family and friends who are here for me.
Blessings.
Hi Sharon;
I certainly know of what you speak. I, too, come up blank when meeting someone that I hadn’t seen for quite some time. But I also draw a blank, sometimes, at a person’s name that I see quite often too! Thank you for sharing your words with us and letting us know that we are not the only ones going through this. And, thanks be to God that He knows our name forever.
Hi Sharon,
I couldn’t agree with you more.
You and I are in the same predicament.
Thank you for bringing this to light.
I believe your devotional will be an encouragement to others as well.
God continue to bless you in your writings.
Thanks for writing, Sharon. Forgetting names is a minute by minute occurrence in the retirement community where I live. Knowing names becomes an important part of having meaningful communication with others. Yes, I can reach for a name one day, I forget it and suddenly it will come to me the next day. Some day we will be given a new name (Revelation 2:17 …you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will bestow.) I have a feeling we won’t be forgetting that one.
Hello Sharon.
Your words remind me of how my performance is directly related to the thoughts I deposit in my memory bank. I can only draw on what I deposit. I, too, find that my memory is not like in the days of my youth. You are right, if we are content and trust in our Lord Jesus to sustain us, worry fades in the light of His words. I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. How tenderly He cares for His own sheep.
(USA)
Thank you Sharon. These words are very meaningful to me.
A thoughtful devotional Sharon. Thanks for sharing, and don’t worry, we all have the same memory problem as we “mature”. Isn’t it amazing Sharon, how all past experiences can come flowing out of our mouths any time, any where, but instant recall of names will elude us when we need them most. Embarrassing situation, isn’t it!!
Enjoy your day today Sharon.
Oh so very true, Amen. Thanks for sharing
I want to thank you for your devotional about giving thanks to God for his blessings. I was touched and challenged to confess and to pray specially at the end when I read your very nice prayer.
Sometimes I feel that life is very hard for me to bear and then I complain, but then right after that, I confess to the Lord and I thank him for his great mercy, his goodness, his unfailing love and his amazing grace that saved a sinner like me. I also thank God every day for the Lord Jesus, my loving and compassionate savior. Thank you kindly for your encouragement. God bless you and your ministry every day.
Dear Sharon,
Thanks for the devotional. It seems your memory and mine have had similar histories and present-day differences from what they used to be.
Yet God will stay the same yesterday, today, and forever.
I thank the Lord for his full and free offer, not only of an eternity for all who trust that Jesus died to be the sacrifice for our sins, but that our Lord also made a wonderful environment for us for eternity.
Amen.