The Joy of the Eternal Scar: Day 11 of Joy
He never leaves you.
Shout for joy, you heavens! Earth, rejoice! Mountains, break into joyful shouts! For the Lord has comforted his people and will have compassion on his suffering ones. ... ‘Can a woman forget her nursing child, or lack compassion for the child of her womb? Even if these forget, yet I will not forget you. Look, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands... — Isaiah 49:13, 15-16 CSB
There is a specific kind of loneliness that comes when we feel forgotten. In the middle of a long trial, it’s easy to look at our circumstances and conclude that God has moved on to someone more “successful” or less “broken” by life. When we’re lost in our feelings and don’t feel His presence, we assume He has left the room.
But Isaiah gives us a promise that shatters the myth of the absent God.
To illustrate His commitment, God uses the strongest human bond imaginable—the connection between a mother and her nursing child. He acknowledges that while even that bond could theoretically fail, His bond with you is impossible to break. He doesn’t just keep a “file” on you; He has inscribed you on the palms of His hands. That is commitment!
There is joy in having faith that He never leaves you. In the ancient world, to inscribe something meant to cut it in, like an engraving. For us, this points directly to the message of the cross. When Jesus rose from the grave, He kept the scars in His hands (John 20:25-27). Those scars are the eternal receipt of His love and the proof that you are constantly “before Him.” Your joy today isn’t found in your ability to hold onto God, but in the fact that your name is literally part of His hands.
The 90/10 Rule of Presence
[read this article to learn more about the 90/10 rule]
The 10%: The feeling of being “forgotten” and the silence and loneliness of a difficult season.
The 90%: The physical, eternal reality that God has inscribed you on Himself. His presence is a fact, not a feeling.
If you focus on the 10 percent, you will constantly scan the horizon for a God you think is missing. When you give the 90 percent of your attention to the inscribed promise, you find the joy of the Anchor. He isn’t just watching you from a distance; He is carrying your identity in His very hands.
Today, whenever you feel a wave of loneliness or doubt, look at the palms of your own hands. Let them be a physical “sign of goodness” to remind you that the King of the Universe has your name engraved on His. He is not just with you; He is committed to you with an unsinkable faithfulness. Find joy in this fact.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for the scars that prove Your love. I confess that I often feel forgotten and stifled by my loneliness. Thank You for the joy of knowing that I am inscribed on the palms of Your hands. Help me to rest in the truth that You will never leave me or forsake me. Amen.
View all messages in the series at: www.faithsaves.us/t/joy-series-faith-saves-us