I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands
Isa. {49:1} Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. {49:2} And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me; {49:3} And said unto me, Thou [art] my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified. {49:4} Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: [yet] surely my judgment [is] with the LORD, and my work with my God. {49:5} And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb [to be] his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength.
'Listen...'
'The Lord hath called me from the womb, from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.'
Do we have any doubt really that from the moment of conception there is a living being inside a woman? Really? Any doubt at all? We shouldn't.
'And now, saith the Lord that formed me from the womb to be his servant...'
'The Lord that formed me from the womb.'
Who form him from the womb? The Lord.
Ps. {22:9} But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother’s breasts. {22:10} I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother’s belly.
'THOU ART MY GOD FROM MY MOTHER'S BELLY'
Ps. {71:4} Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man. {71:5} For thou [art] my hope, O Lord GOD: [thou art] my trust from my youth. {71:6} By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother’s bowels: my praise [shall be] continually of thee. {71:7} I am as a wonder unto many; but thou [art] my strong refuge. {71:8} Let my mouth be filled [with] thy praise [and with] thy honour all the day. {71:9} Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth. {71:10} For mine enemies speak against me; and they that lay wait for my soul take counsel together.
'By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother’s bowels: my praise [shall be] continually of thee'
'BY THEE HAVE I BEEN HOLDEN UP FROM THE WOMB'
Ps. {139:13} For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. {139:14} I will praise thee; for I am fearfully [and] wonderfully made: marvellous [are] thy works; and [that] my soul knoweth right well. {139:15} My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, [and] curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. {139:16} Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all [my members] were written, [which] in continuance were fashioned, when [as yet there was] none of them.
{139:17} How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! {139:18} [If] I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.
'THOU HAST COVERED ME IN MY MOTHER'S WOMB'
'MY SUBSTANCE WAS NOT HID FROM THEE WHEN I WAS MADE IN SECRET'
'THINE EYES DID SEE MY SUBSTANCE YET BEING UNPERFECT AND IN THY BOOK ALL MY MEMBERS WERE WRITTEN WHICH IN CONTINUANCE WERE FASHIONED WHEN AS YET THERE WAS NONE OF THEM.'
Eccl. {11:5} As thou knowest not what [is] the way of the spirit, [nor] how the bones [do grow] in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.
'HOW THE BONES DO GROW IN THE WOMB OF HER THAT IS WITH CHILD EVEN SO THOU KNOWEST NOT THE WORKS OF GOD WHO MAKETH ALL'
Isa. {44:1} Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen: {44:2} Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, [which] will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen.
'THUS SAITH THE LORD THAT MADE THEE AND FORMED THEE FROM THE WOMB'
Isa. {44:24} Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I [am] the LORD that maketh all [things;] that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself
Isa. {46:3} Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne [by me] from the belly, which are carried from the womb: {46:4} And [even] to [your] old age I [am] he; and [even] to hoar hairs will I carry [you:] I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver [you.
Isa. {49:15} Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. {49:16} Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of [my] hands; thy walls [are] continually before me.
Can a woman forget her sucking child? Yes, unfortunately, yes.
Can a woman not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yes, they forget all the time.
We may forget, God will NEVER forget us. He has graven us on the palms of his hands.
GOD WILL NEVER FORGET US HE HAD GRAVEN US UPON THE PALMS OF HIS HANDS.
He forms us in the womb and we are never far from His thoughts, never. We can forget Him, He'll never forget us.
All glory and praise, all honor and worship unto our God, unto our Creator, our Savior, our Redeemer! By His mercy and His grace now and forever and ever!
AMEN.
4/25/10
1Co 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
1Co 15:2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
1Co 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
1Co 15:4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
1Co 15:5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
1Co 15:6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
Many people saw Jesus after He'd been raised from the dead. There is NO doubt He was killed, murdered on the cross, no doubt. Jesus had become quite a sensation for stirring up the people. Miracles performed as never a man had performed them before. Some were in awe of Him others in fear of Him, some were angry with Him and that anger turned into hatred and they sought to have Him killed. With no doubt of His death, no contesting the fact He was dead at all, Jesus was buried in a tomb. The problem had been solved, the relief of those who hated Him and wanted Him dead had to be tremendous. But Jesus didn't stay dead, he rose again! Just as there was no doubt of His death there was no doubt of His rising again... 500 people saw Him at once! He didn't just appear to a few chosen few. There was NO DOUBT of His rising from the dead, no doubt.
1Co 15:7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.
1Co 15:8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
1Co 15:9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
1Co 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
By the grace of God I am what I am. Grace is a REAL thing, not just something to mutter in prayer. Paul said- His grace whish was bestowed upon me was NOT in vain. Given this gift of grace, freed from sin, forgiven by the Lord, Paul used this miracle as we all should as God directs us. Paul said- but I laboured more abundantly than they all yet not I but the grace of God which was with me. Paul laboured for Christ, but knows it wasn't of himself but by the grace of God with Him. Left to His own devices Paul would have continued to persecute Christ's followers. He knew this. By the grace of God bestowed on Him he lived and laboured. We can all have the grace of God given to us. Do we labour with the grace we receive to bring Christ to others? Can the grace bestowed upon us be in vain? God forbid.
May we receive the grace of God and by that grace live in Him, for Him always.
Amen.
4/26/11