Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me. Isaiah 49:16 KJV
The people of Israel were feeling forsaken and forgotten of God, in response He assured them He could not and would not forget them. To declare His love, God said He had engraved them upon the palms of His hands. The word chosen by God is both stunning and vivid. To engrave is to take a sharp object and carve a deep and permanent impression. I remember when my wife and I were first married I walked out into a wooded area and carved a heart and our names deeply into the truck of a tree. I wanted the impression to last for years. God has carved the name of His people into His own hands. We look at our hands frequently, every time God looks at His hands, He sees His people.
Lord, what love You have for Your people both in Isaiah’s day and our day. It is unimaginable that our names would be carved into the palms of Your hands and yet, in the expression of Your love for us, that is precisely what You claim to have done. Such deep and undeserving love is beyond me. Help me openly express my love for You in return.
