My name is David Demaree. I'm a game developer for a large company in Austin. HCBC has served as my family since moving here in 2007. It's been neat to watch God work through many different people at HCBC to draw me closer to Him over the past few years.

I grew up in Hurst, Texas, which is a suburb of Fort Worth. It's there that I became a fan of the Dallas Cowboys, even though I don't particularly care for the city of Dallas. ;-)

GOD HAS NOT FORGOTTEN YOU

KEY VERSE

"Then God remembered Rachel; He listened to her and enabled her to conceive." (Genesis 30:22)

CENTRAL TRUTH

Many times things will happen in our lives that discourage us. But God has not forgotten us. He is faithful. He keeps His promises to us, just as he kept His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

REFLECTIONS

Have you ever felt like God didn't care about you? Have things ever happened in your life that made you feel like it just wasn't worth living anymore? Maybe you can relate to Rachel.

Rachel was barren. Though she was Jacob's favored wife, she could not conceive. Her despair was evident when she said, "Give me children, or I'll die!" (Genesis 30:1) "Here is Bilhah, my servant. Sleep with her so that she can bear children for me and I too can build a family through her." (Genesis 30:3) It's obvious that Rachel felt overlooked. For many years, she waited and watched as Jacob had 10 sons with three other women.

But God had not forgotten her. In fact, her son, Joseph, would be the one to eventually save the whole family from famine, years after being sold into slavery by his brothers.

God had a plan for Rachel, and if you have trusted in Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, He has a plan for you, too. In Ephesians 1:5-8, we read, "[H]e predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will -- to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that He lavished on us."

Ephesians 1:13-14 continues: "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession -- to the praise of His glory."

It's important to be reminded just how much God loves us. It's vital to remember what He has already done for us. And when we encounter difficult times in our life, when it seems nothing is going "our way," it's good to know what God has promised us. God is faithful to fulfill His promises.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Think of a situation in your life that has left you discouraged in the past, or might be discouraging you right now. What might God be teaching you through this situation?

2. Think of the discouraging situation from the first question. List at least three ways that God might bring something good out of that situation.

3. Search the Bible for additional promises that God has made to those who place their hope and trust in Jesus. Try to find at least three more promises, and share them with somebody else.