Can a woman forget her nursing child, And not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands. (Isa 49:15-16a)

Our parents step into their new role the day we are born, yet their official capacity ends on the day they (or we) pass away. God, on the other hand, was our Father even before the beginning of time, and will continue to be so into eternity in the heavenly kingdom. His loving presence is permanent.

Like a parent, He provides, protects, nurtures, teaches, and understands. Most importantly, God loves us profoundly and sacrificially.

See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands. (Isa 49:16a)

He loves us to the point of inscribing us into His palms. He specifically chooses to mark His hands, a body part that would be hard to ignore.

Engraving or etching is a time-consuming process. Imagine the pain of cutting into skin—the skin of hands, which are used for nearly everydaily activity. The result is a permanent and indelible mark that sets one apart and commits what is inscribed to memory.

God inscribing us on His own palms manifests His steadfast allegiance to His people. This shows that we belong with Him and to Him, even when we may temporarily feel uncared for or forgotten.

We matter to God enough to mark His own body for us. God engraves us into such a visible location to confirm that He knows and understands our joys and sorrows. We are carved and cut into the hands of the Creator of our entire universe, the Author of all life, the Savior of humanity.

When things don’t go our way, it’s easy to start ruminating. We feel alone, abandoned, forgotten. We think God doesn’t care about us and the more we feel that way, the deeper we slip into this dark hole. Our heavenly Father is not oblivious to the silent tear we shed behind closed doors, or the wounded heart we carry into our days. He sees and He cares.

God is our perpetual parent. God was, is, and will be a more committed and compassionate parent than even a nursing mother.

His love is so much more than skin deep. God sees and empathizes when we feel forgotten and forsaken. The anchoring truth is that His profound parental love doesn’t abandon us no matter how dark things may seem. We remain in the palms of His hands, and God is with us every step of the way as we thrive in success and as we grow through challenges.

Next time you feel yourself slipping into the dark hole of apparent abandonment and draining hopelessness, try taking a moment to lift your eyes. Look up, and see that you are indelibly etched on your heavenly Father’s loving palms.