“Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb. And she conceived and bore a son, and said, ‘God has taken away my reproach’ ” (Genesis 30:22, 23).
Mozart had the unusual ability to write down and play all of the notes from a song he had heard just one time. Winston Churchill could recite from memory almost every one of William Shakespeare’s works. Alexander the Great knew the names of all 30,000 of his soldiers in his army. Bill Gates can remember the hundreds of different computer codes in the programming language that he designed years before.
Memory is a fascinating gift from God. It begins just twenty weeks after conception. Though many believe memory fades with age, its loss has more to do with not exercising our brains than with just getting older. Sleep is important to our ability to remember things. Sleep aids in the storage and retrieval of long-term memories. Biologists have also come to believe that the storage capacity of the human brain is practically limitless. God certainly never forgets; His memory is perfect.
When Rachel could not bear children, God remembered. She didn’t just feel embarrassed at being barren. Childlessness was considered a curse. People looked down on a woman if she did not give birth to a family. When Leah gave Jacob children, it stung Rachel’s heart with deep pain.
Both these sister-wives cried out to God regarding children. Leah struggled with not feeling loved. Rachel wrestled with the inability to conceive. The Lord heard and remembered both of these women. God didn’t get confused over the tangled relationships in Jacob’s household. Each person was dear to Him.
The Lord doesn’t forget you either. He knows where you live. He observes your peculiar habits. He understands your preferences and what annoys you. The Lord never forgets every tear you shed nor every smile you give. You are truly in His memory because He loves you.
Lord Jesus, if You know the number of hairs on my head, you certainly remember all of my needs. Thank You!
For Further Study: Genesis 30:1–24; Deuteronomy 9:27; Luke 23:42