Walk-on Wednesday - Never Forgotten - Martin Wiles

Welcome to Walk-on Wednesday. By Hump Day, we are struggling, but we believe a good devotion can strengthen us to finish the week strong. 

For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers. Hebrews 6:10 NLT

As an aspiring writer, I attended my first writer’s conference, sponsored by an organization for which I had been writing devotions.

Here’s my chance to hobnob with those who have pull in the writing world, I thought. I had been writing for several years and had always told myself I was doing this for God. Yet in the silence of some moments, I wondered if that was true. Could I accept it if I were never published? Goodness knows, I had received my share of rejection notices.

I quickly discovered the writing world was a dog-eat-dog world. One of the break-out sessions I chose was hosted by the co-founder and editor of the organization sponsoring the conference. Imagine my discouragement when he stood before the group and told us how much it costs a publishing company to publish a book and what our chances were for getting published.

It was decision time. With the bare facts before me, would I keep writing even if I was overlooked by everyone in the publishing world? Would it be enough to be rewarded only by God and never anyone else?

I was convicted. Jesus often cautioned the religious authorities about doing what they did for recognition. Rather, he—like the present writer--investigated my motivation. The effects of my writing—and anything else I do for God—will be quickly forgotten if I do it for praise from others. But if my service to God, in whatever form it takes, is done so others may see my good works and glorify the Father, then the effects will linger long after my eyes have closed in death.

Though we may face rejection and disappointment while on earth, God will never overlook what we do for him when it’s done with the right spirit.

Let the assurance of God’s love and recognition bolster you when you feel forgotten.

Prayer: Eternal God and Father, thank You for comforting us in those times when we feel overlooked and forgotten. 

Tweetable: Do you ever feel forgotten? 

Thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's encouragement through His Love Lines.

Never Forgotten - Martin Wiles

Yet Jerusalem says, “The Lord has deserted us; the Lord has forgotten us.” Isaiah 49:14 NLT

How am I supposed to get my message across when others keep forgetting?

In an article entitled, “Brain Science: The Forgetting Curve–the Dirty Secret of Corporate Training,” Art Kohn shares startling statistics about forgetting. Within one hour, people forget half of what we share with them. Within twenty-four hours, they forget seventy percent, and within a week, they have forgotten ninety percent. Not fun facts when we normally want people to remember what we tell them—especially if it’s important.

While later in life forgetting may result from Alzheimer’s or dementia, forgetting during the normal brain functioning period of our lives is … well … normal. Our brains are busy with thousands of sensory inputs during any given day. The brain also has to keep out some sensory input lest it go into overload. Suppressing some information lets us focus on the more important information. The bottom line: our brains need to forget some things so we can zero in on the most important things. (http://ow.ly/bPi630lYAbx)

Israel often felt forgotten by God. Such as when they spent 400 years enslaved to foreigners in Egypt. And then later, another seventy serving the Babylonians. Although they felt as if God had left them—after all, it was their fault because they disobeyed Him—God never had. In his good time, He rescued them and took them back to their Promised Land.

I’m sure glad my brain weeds out some of the unimportant things. I’ve never forgotten God—or my love and obligations to Him—but I have experienced times when I felt as if He had forgotten me. When tough times came and I wondered why He didn’t intervene. When it seemed as if I could barely keep my head above water, but He didn’t reach down and rescue me. Or at least, not quickly enough.

Feelings and reality are different. While I may pass through periods when I feel as if God has forgotten me, He never does. That’s reality. Unconfessed sin can make me experience those feelings—and so can Satan. I have to determine which so I can take the appropriate action.

If you are God’s child, He never forgets you in life and won’t in eternity. Just as He did with Israel, in His good time, He will lead you out of your desert feelings and bring you into your Promised Land.

Remember God never forgets His children.

Prayer: Father, we rejoice in the fact that You never forget us. 

Tweetable: Do you feel forgotten? 

Thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's encouragement through His Love Lines.