June 16, 2023 – Our Daily Bread Devotional, Friday ODB Message
Read June 16, 2023 – Our Daily Bread Devotional, ODB Devotional Message for Friday By Winn Collier
TOPIC: God’s Unfailing Memory
BIBLE IN A YEAR: Nehemiah 4–6; Acts 2:22–47
KEY VERSE: “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! – Isaiah 49:15
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Isaiah 49:13–16
INSIGHT FOR OUR DAILY BREAD 16TH JUNE 2023 BY K.T. SIM
God’s people had been unfaithful and had stubbornly refused to repent and return to God (Isaiah 43:22–24). He used the Assyrian and Babylonian armies to chastise them (10:3–6; 39:6–7). Despite the severe discipline, God assured them that they were still His chosen people: “I have summoned you by name; you are mine” (43:1). He’d also restore them to Himself and bring them back to the promised land (49:8–13). Although He’d promised their restoration, the disillusioned Israelites charged that He’d abandoned them (v. 14). Responding to their despondency, God declared that His love for them is far deeper than a nursing mother has for her baby. Even if such maternal love failed, God said His love would never fail: “I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands” (vv. 15–16). It’s impossible for Him to forget His people.
OUR DAILY BREAD DEVOTIONAL 16TH JUNE 2023 MESSAGE:
A man owned more than $400 million in bitcoin, but he couldn’t access a cent of it. He lost the password for the device storing his funds, and disaster loomed: after ten password attempts, the device would self-destruct. A fortune lost forever. For a decade, the man had agonized, desperately trying to recall the password to his life-altering investment. He tried eight passwords and failed eight times. In 2021, he lamented that he had just two more chances before it all went up in smoke.
We’re a forgetful people. Sometimes we forget small things (where we placed our keys), and sometimes we forget massive things (a password that unlocks millions). Thankfully, God isn’t like us. He never forgets the things or people that are dear to Him. In times of distress, Israel feared that God had forgotten them. “The Lord has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me” (Isaiah 49:14). Isaiah assured them, however, that their God always remembers. “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast?” the prophet asks. Of course, a mother will not forget her suckling child. Still, even if a mother were to commit such an absurdity, we know God will never forget us (v. 15).
“See,” God says, “I have engraved you on the palms of my hands” (v. 16). He’s etched our names into His own being. Let’s remember that He can’t forget us—the ones He loves.
REFLECT: When have you forgotten something important? How does God’s strong memory assure you?
PRAY: Dear God, I’m grateful Your memory is resilient and trustworthy.
Our Daily Bread Devotional 16 June 2023 || ODB for Friday Message . Our Daily Bread Ministries (ODB) is a Christian organization founded by Dr. Martin De Haan in 1938. It is based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with over 600 employees. It produces several devotional publications, including Our Daily Bread. our daily bread devotional for today audio our daily bread booklet
READ MORE TOPICS: OPEN HEAVENS, OUR DAILY BREAD, IN TOUCH, SEEDS OF DESTINY, STREAMS OF JOY, JOEL OSTEEN, MOUNTAIN TOP LIFE, DCLM DAILY MANNA, UCB WORD FOR TODAY