A while back, I was pondering on an issue that troubled me. I understand that God is spirit, therefore, for example, He does not have hands, yet the Bible says that He has engraved Israel’s name on the palms of His hands.

Isaiah 49:14-16 NLT
[14] “Yet Jerusalem says, “The Lord has deserted us; the Lord has forgotten us.” [15] “Never! Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child she has borne? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you! [16] See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands. Always in my mind is a picture of Jerusalem’s walls in ruins.”

If God has written Israel’s name on His hands, surely then He has also written the name of every believer on His palms. What does that mean?

This is a vivid, figurative way of saying that God never forgets a single individual who belongs to Him. The Hebrew word, translated “written”, “engraved“,” inscribed”, or even “tattooed”, comes from the root meaning “to hack”, implying permanence or indelibility.

So secure are God’s people in God that it is impossible for Him to forget their names or their circumstances.

However, here is the point for me. I wondered how God can remember the name of every person who has or will ever live. The Holy Spirit explained that there is only one name indelibly inscribed on God’s palm, mine! And so it is for everyone. God remembers and knows every person as though he or she is the only one. This is how intimately He relates to us.

Secondly, my mind turned to a heavenly scene. The Bible describes millions and millions of people and angels, before the throne, worshipping God in heaven.

Again, I pondered on the practical side of this scene. If there are so many people and angels worshipping God at the same time, how can those in the crowd who are not near God’s throne, see Him or fall down at His feet to worship Him?

Now that may seem like a stupid question but, once again, the Holy Spirit answered me. Just as there is only one name on God’s palm, so also, there is only one person at His feet, worshipping Him, me! On earth, we trust Him, relate to Him, and worship Him, one on one. So it will be in heaven.

In some way we earthlings find difficult to understand, heaven is the realm of the spirit where things happen in the spiritual dimension. God is spirit, yet we will “see” Him. Angels are spirit beings, yet we will recognise them. Our spirits go to be with the Lord, yet we will be real people.

So, we can rely on God because He cannot forget anyone, and we can relate to Him personally because we are assured that we will never lose our personal and intimate connection with Him even among the hoards in heaven.

Revelation 7:9-11 NLT
[9] “After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. [10] And they were shouting with a great roar, “Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!” [11] And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living beings. And they fell before the throne with their faces to the ground and worshiped God.”

Even God’s thoughts are personal, about…me! This is not about being selfish. This is about being assured that every individual is precious to God.

Psalms 139:17-18 NLT
[17]”How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! [18] I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!”

However, there is one prerequisite for enjoying this personal intimacy with the Lord. He gives us the choice and the initiative.

James 4:7-10 NLT
[7] “So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. [8] COME CLOSE TO GOD, AND GOD WILL COME CLOSE TO YOU. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. [9] Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. [10] Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.”

Our closeness to Him now depends on our attitude. If we insist on harbouring sin, we will remain at a distance from Him. If, however, we come clean and turn away from a sinful lifestyle, God’s ear and heart are turned towards us. We are not waiting for Him. He is waiting for us.