Never Forgotten
“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:29-31
“Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.” Isaiah 49:15-16
It happened just this week. All of my friends were invited to go somewhere for the weekend, and I wasn’t. I kept telling myself it wasn’t a big deal, that it didn’t bother me at all. I laughed it off, but the truth is, it stung.
This is the kind of thing I always hoped I would grow out of, but it left me feeling unimportant, unloved, and overlooked, and no matter how old you are, that always hurts. Do you know the feeling? I bet so.
That sneaky little feeling shame wants us to believe that we’re the only one who feels forgotten, but the truth is, everyone gets left out from time to time. It’s completely normal, though that doesn’t make it any more fun. Even so, it’s natural to feel a little hurt, because your heart was built to be loved perfectly and completely by the One who made it, the One who has engraved your name on the palm of His hand.
The encouragement here is that Jesus, as fully man, understands our pain, but, as fully God, we know we’ll never experience that hurt from Him. Though right now it’s so easy to feel overlooked, Matthew 10 tells us that the Lord knows the actual number of hairs on your head - that’s how much He values every little facet of you.
In Him, you are worthy and valued and loved for every little part of you. This knowledge gives you confidence in the times when you feel so alone, when even God seems so far away. You can rest in the assurance that even if you get left off of every guest list from now on, you are written permanently onto his hand and have an established place in His kingdom.
Even now, He is preparing a place for you - just for you - and He has equally prepared a path for you on earth. He’s given you unique talents and passions to be able to live out your calling better than anyone else could – you can be you better than anyone else, I promise! Whether you’re the life of the party or the quietest wallflower, the Lord is telling you that you are worth far more than the sparrows.
You have gifts, you have talents, and He delights in seeing you use those to glorify Him. We tend to think using our gifts for Jesus means big gestures and global travel and giving away everything we own, and sometimes, it does. But more often than not, you can live out God’s purpose for you just by loving people well, whether that’s encouraging your friends, babysitting for a family in need, or washing the dishes without being asked.
To everyone else, you might be a nobody, but in God’s kingdom, you are never forgotten. He loves you deeply and endows you with a purpose just for you.