O, What Love!

May 13

It is almost as though the Bible were addressing today’s staggering abortion rate when the prophet made this observation, “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child of her womb? Though they may forget, yet will I not forget you! I have engraved your name on the palms of My hands; you are ever before Me,” Isaiah 49:15, 16.

Over 3000 babies are aborted daily in the United States. The world-wide figure is much higher. In some countries where male children are preferred, the preponderance of aborted fetuses is female. For the most part in this country, the procedure serves as a method of birth control. It is a means of avoiding the inconvenient responsibility of caring for an un-planned or un-wanted child.

The analogy is intended to bring to mind the devotion that a mother feels for her offspring and the unnatural aspect of her ‘forgetting’ the infant in her arms, but it also acknowledge the reality that there can be those whose maternal instinct is dulled to the point of being able to rid herself of the burden of an unwanted mouth to feed, body to clothe, child to educate and equip for future productivity.

The prophet declares at this point in the behalf of our Father God who sent His only begotten Son to die for us, that we can never be thusly forgotten! He has us as indelibly in His heart as if our names were carved in the palms of His hand where they can be seen of Him continually. Oh, what a precious love the Holy One has for us! Oh, what an “unspeakable gift” is ours (see II Corinthians 9:15).