Yesterday I read these words in Isaiah 44:5 - "One will say 'I belong to the Lord'; another will call himself by the name of Jacob; still another will write on his hand, 'The Lord's' and will take the name of Israel." I love this picture of people coming to the Lord, being grafted into his family, and like in marriage or adoption, choosing to take his name and identifying ourselves as his. All day, I smiled when I noticed purple smudges everywhere, a testimony to the truth that I belong to him... meditating on that fills me with such love and peace and security.
Today, Isaiah 49:16 enriched this truth even more with the words of the Lord: "See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands." Not only have I written his name on my hand, but He has written mine on his! And he hasn't used a messy, smudgy Sharpie, but he has me permanently engraved in his palm, forever and always.
Isaiah 43:1 - "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine." Hallelujah, praise the Lord!
