Devotional: I'll Not Forget You

There’s an old song by Bryan Duncan that speaks of the long years of waiting by Abraham and Sarah. Through all that has come this time of year—school wrapping up, graduations, wedding—there’s still a place of waiting inside me for something I’ve dreamed of since I was fifteen.

I catch myself wondering often, does anything I do make any difference? In this season of busyness, where it feels that so much is still undone, am I accomplishing something of worth, or just running myself in circles?

Others I know are in seasons of rest, or waiting. Some feel that God has just put them on the shelf for no apparent reason. Which begs another question: For all that I’ve done, all I’ve worked for ... does God Himself notice?

The answer is, emphatically, yes.

Motives matter, of course. “...which you have shown toward His name.” Can we say we do what we do because it’s good and right? Or because we just really want people to tell us how wonderful we are?

Not that there’s anything wrong with the desire to know we’ve done a good job. Even the famed virtuous woman knew that what she produced with her hands was of good quality. (Proverbs 31:18) And there’s nothing to be gained by false modesty.

But once we’ve examined our hearts, prayed for God to purify us, and gone beyond all that until we’re just bone weary...that’s when we often wonder, has God just forgotten me? Are dreams just something we have to learn to give up, because they get swallowed up in real life?

Those are the moments in which the chorus of the song haunts me most.

I’ll not forget you ...

God sees. He remembers. He does not forget the things He planted in us, the things we long to see to come to fruition. Most of all, even though His word is clear that we can do nothing to earn His favor, He doesn’t overlook what we do for His sake.

For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. (Hebrews 6:10, NKJV)

 (first appeared 5/19/13)