July 26th, 25: Your Name on His Hands: Hope and Restoration in Life’s Ruins

Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible! In today’s episode, host Hunter guides us through the readings for July 26th, journeying into Isaiah chapters 46 through 49 and concluding with 1 Peter chapter 5. Together, we’ll reflect on God’s enduring faithfulness to His people, even when they find themselves returning to the ruins of their past. Hunter reminds us that God’s grace is always at work—even in our brokenness—and assures us that our names are written on the palms of His hands. If you’re feeling forgotten, weighed down by life’s trials, or searching for hope, this episode is a powerful reminder that God has not abandoned you. Join us as we listen to the living Word, pray together, and find encouragement to stand firm in God’s love and grace.

TODAY'S DEVOTION:

Return to the ruins.

Sometimes God calls you back to the ruins, but don't let those ruins fool you. God has not forgotten you. Out of the ruins, He’s raising up something new, and you don’t want to miss it. Don’t miss it by running away or despairing at the destruction you see. God is bringing you back to do something new—to reveal His grace to you and to reveal Himself to you. This was Isaiah’s message. The people were exiled, but they were not forgotten. Like a note that He can’t afford to lose, Isaiah tells us that God has written your name on the palm of His hand. “See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands, always in my mind.” (Isaiah 49:16) God has not forgotten your name. He has your name in His mind, always in His mind, because He is about to do something new.

Peter tells us, “My purpose in writing is to encourage you and to assure you that what you are experiencing is truly a part of God’s grace to you. So stand firm in this grace.” God may be returning you to the ruins, but don’t despair at the destruction you see. God’s about to reveal something new—His grace, Himself. So return to whatever ruins God may be calling you to. Don’t despair at what you see, but be assured and encouraged that He is with you, and you can stand firm in the grace that He offers you right now, this very moment.

So stand firm. He is about to do something. He has not forgotten. He’s exactly where you are. Your name is on His hand.

And the prayer of my own heart today is that I will listen and that I will trust a God who meets me at life’s lowest, in the darkest, among the ruins, that He does not desert me. That He is not repelled by me. No, He’s never abandoned me. He was with me all along. Then I’ll begin to see and understand and experience this grace more and more.

That’s a prayer I have for my own soul. That’s a prayer I have for my family, for my wife, my daughters, and my son. And that’s a prayer I have for you. May it be so.