She hung her head in shame as she made her way toward the offering box, hoping no one would notice her.

The temple treasury was crowded with richly robed people, and she was embarrassed at her own pitiful rags. The wealthy worshipers were dropping huge offerings in the box, and onlookers jaws were dropping at their largess. Oohs and ahhs of admiration could be heard as gold coins cascaded out of the donors' bags into the box. How humiliated the widow felt clutching her two small coins. Suddenly she saw an opportunity to slip up to the box, toss in her offering, then steal away unnoticed. She was relieved that no one had observed her. Well, almost no one...

And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” Mark 12:42-44

Jesus sees even the smallest acts of obedience and kindness believers do in his Name. He noticed the widow’s penny. He promises to reward us if we give even a cup of water to one of his disciples. On judgment day we’ll say, "Lord, when did we feed you when you were hungry or clothe you when you were poor or visit you when you were sick?” And he'll say, "Every time you did it to the least of my children, you did it to me."

He doesn't miss a thing

God has numbered the very hairs on our heads. Not a sparrow falls apart from our Father. The God who hears the raven’s cry catches every prayer we breathe in secret. The God who stores up our individual tears in his bottle heard that word of encouragement to your brother last week and remembers the classes you taught in Children's Ministry ten years ago. He caught you slipping that sister a $20 bill for food last month.

Joy in heaven

Can you imagine our joy in heaven when Jesus brings out all the things we did for him that we've completely forgotten about? Can you imagine the widow’s joy when Jesus brings out the mountain of rewards her two copper coins produced? Let's be faithful to sow our “pennies”, and do as much as we can by his grace and for his glory.

But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark (Genesis 8:1).

It had been raining for 150 days and Noah & company were drifting on a featureless sea. For five dreary months they had been cooped up in the ark with no word from God. It must have seemed like an eternity. Noah must have wondered at times if God had forgotten them.

But God remembered Noah. Did God suddenly wake up with a start exclaiming, "Oh no! I can't believe it -- I forgot about Noah. I hope he's okay"? No. God hadn't forgotten about Noah for a nanosecond. But from Noah's perspective, after five long months, God now remembered him and came to his aid, sending a wind to dry up the waters.

Has God forgotten you?

Do you ever feel like you're on a tiny raft on a vast ocean and all the rescue crews have given up looking for you? Do you ever feel like you’ve dropped off God’s radar screen?

God has promised never to forget his blood-bought children. He's engraved us on his hands and written our names on his heart. He never slumbers nor sleeps as he watches over us. He knows our rising up and our lying down, our going out and coming in. He never leaves us or forsakes us. If we fly to the sunrise or sink in the sea, he'll be there. He can't forget us because we've been joined to Christ. When he looks at Christ he sees us. Oh yes, God remembers us.

God remembered Mom

The last 7 years of her life, Alzheimer's disease whittled away my mom’s memory and life. In the early stages Mom would say to me, “Mark, I just hope I never forget Jesus and I never forget my family.” I'd reply, “Mom, even if you forget Jesus, Jesus will never forget you. And even if you forget us, we will never forget you.” And Jesus did keep my Mom. She was joyful even as her mind deteriorated. She never became belligerent or depressed as many Alzheimer's sufferers do. As her mind gradually drained away, all that remained was the sweetness of who she'd become in Jesus Christ. Though Mom lost her ability to read and remember Scripture, though she eventually lost most of her memory of Jesus, Jesus never forgot Mom. He was with her till her final breath. How glorious it must have been the moment she awakened to see the face of her Savior. How glorious it must have been when all Mom's memories of Jesus and his work in her life came flooding back.

God remembered Noah. God remembered Mom. God remembers you.