Devotionals for the Heart: Memory

God Has Not Forgotten You
A devotional by Cyndi Staudt

“He never forgets to show us his love and faithfulness.”

—Psalm 98:3a (TPT)

As we proceed through life we remember all kinds of things – birthdays, experiences, to lock the car doors, etc. But if we are being honest, we also forget many things – important dates, pots cooking on a stove, even children in the car. According to KidsAndCars.org, a national nonprofit focused on keeping children safe in and around vehicles, each year about 38 children die from being left unattended in a hot car. That's about one child every nine days.

All in all, more than 900 children have lost their lives this way since 1990. It’s scary to think about, but in the article I read they say it, “often happens when people are doing something outside their normal routine” and that “it could happen to anyone” as “forgetting a child is not a negligence problem but a memory problem”. Yikes!

In light of just this one statistic, isn’t it mind-blowing that the God of the universe is a God who not only remembers us but remembers every single detail of our lives? He even remembers the number of hairs on our head! I lose so many hairs every day, how can He possibly keep up?

The fact is, God would never forget us—no matter how many children He has or how much He has going on in the world. Even though sometimes it may seem like He has forgotten about us or He has abandoned us, He never has and He never will. This is a truth we can stand on! God shows us over and over in His Word (The Holy Bible) how He constantly remembers His people because of His great love for them.

A prime example of God’s great love for humankind is found in the Bible book of Genesis when God’s people had been enslaved in Egypt for hundreds of years. They were abused and beaten, forced into hard labor and they even had their baby boys taken and killed. Do you think at any time during those 400+ years the Israelites thought God had forgotten about them? I know I would have. But God’s Word tells us differently. Exodus 2:24-25 (NLT) tells us, “God heard their groaning, and he remembered his covenant promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He looked down on the people of Israel and knew it was time to act.”

Now I’m sure the Israelites thought “it was time to act” after the first month. Certainly after the first year. Or 100th year. I’m sure they felt they had been long forgotten by their God. But in these verses we are told that not only did God remember them, He heard their groans and remembered His promise made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob. God came to their rescue.

Friends, there are so many stories in the Bible about how God remembered His people when they probably felt forgotten. Like Rachel, who was childless for so long until Genesis 30:22 (NLT) tells us, “God remembered Rachel’s plight and answered her prayers by enabling her to have children.” We know God doesn’t change. We know that even though we are fickle and forget, our God never does.

I don’t know what circumstance you are facing today that may have you feeling like God has forgotten you, but I can assure you He hasn’t. Let these stories of God’s faithfulness fuel your faith by reminding you how God remembered His people long ago. He will remember you too. Take some time every so often to have a little Messiah “memorial day” when you take time to remember how God has remembered you in the past and remains faithful to you today.

Let’s Pray: Holy God, thank you for being a God whose memory never fails! Help me to see that even during the times when I can’t see You, feel You or hear You, you have not abandoned me and have never forgotten me. Reveal to me encouragement in Your Word, seeing how You remain faithful to Your people even when we are not faithful to You. You remember us, rescue us and restore us because of Your great love for us and You always will. Thank You, Lord! We are forever grateful. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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Author Bio:

Cyndi Staudt is a Jesus-loving, adrenaline junkie who is devoted to living her life for Jesus Christ until the day she is living with Him. 

With a passion for cultivating a craving for God’s Word, her devotions and Bible studies are saturated with faith and hope to stir your soul to connect with God in deeper, more intimate ways.

Through her writing she hopes to ignite your desire to read God’s Word, invite your heart to experience God’s love, and inspire you to live your live life “souled out” to the One whose love has no limits.

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Connect with Cyndi:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/souledoutcyndi/