Encouragement for Today
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April 2, 2024 God Has Not Forgotten the People You Love |
“But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.” Psalm 13:5 (ESV)
Please save her, Father. I beg You to open her eyes to Your love for her. Please shine Your light in dark places, and incline her heart to follow Jesus as Lord.
On my knees, through tears, I begged God for my friend’s salvation. I’d brought her name to Him for years — and not just hers. My list of names was very long, indeed.
I’m still praying for many friends and family members to come to faith. I’m praying they recognize their separation from God and accept His free, gracious gift of salvation. I desperately desire for God to call these lost sheep to Himself.
But waiting for that day feels so hard.
As I was praying for my friend that night, grief and worry threatened to consume me. Eventually, I had to face some hard questions. I trusted that God heard my cries, but … had He forgotten my loved ones? Had He forgotten the names I’d placed before Him?
In Psalm 13, the psalmist, David, wondered if God had forgotten his concerns too. He was wrestling with sorrow in his waiting and desperately called out to God just as I do. “How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?” (Psalm 13:1, ESV).
David begged for change and the Lord’s intervention, but the time had not yet come. Rather than giving in to defeat, allowing disappointments or disillusionment to crush him, David did something unexpected.
He said, “But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me” (Psalm 13:5-6, ESV).
In the face of his fear, David resolved to trust God’s steadfast love. He rejoiced in salvation, recognizing it as a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8-9). He knew the Lord cared for him, and so he sang even in his waiting.
Our Father cares about all people as His image bearers. He formed us in the womb and has numbered the hairs on our heads (Psalm 139:13-16; Luke 12:7). If we care so greatly for our loved ones, how much more can we trust our Father to care deeply and compassionately for each of them as His creations? We can rest in the truth of 2 Peter 3:9 today:
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (NIV).
In the Lord’s timing, He established David as king of Israel. Fourteen generations later, through David's family line, Jesus was born. Through David’s patient waiting, the Lord was working out all things for good.
God loves your friends and family immeasurably. He hasn’t forgotten them. He’s patiently, powerfully and mercifully pursuing lost hearts so that many might come to know Him. In the meantime, we can trust and rejoice in His steadfast love.
Dear God, thank You for loving my loved ones and remembering each of their names. Please remind me of Your tenderhearted patience, and fill me with peace as I watch Your Kingdom grow. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
OUR FAVORITE THINGS
If you’re praying for a loved one to follow Jesus but the wait feels painful, frustrating or confusing, June Chapman’s book, Peace in the Waiting: When You Love People Who Don’t Love God, offers a hope-filled path to finding comfort in God’s sovereignty and timing.
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FOR DEEPER STUDY
Psalm 33:20-22, “Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us, even as we hope in you” (ESV).
God is at work behind the scenes. What’s one way you might redirect your worry back to worship, focusing less on the situation you see in front of you and more on rejoicing in God’s goodness, grace and free gift of salvation? Share your thoughts in the comments!
© 2024 by June Chapman. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
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Matthews, NC 28106
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