"Pardon Me" -Too

"Let the sea roar, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein." (Psalms 98:7)
It's not that we don't get it, because I totally believe that we do; it's more about believing it counts for us, there is where we have issues. Your God has not forgotten you; He has not abandoned you, that is not in His nature to do such a thing. I truly believe that we need faith enough to trust in God, and if that is what we have, then the rest will all work out in the long run. But we are more about needing to see the evidence of what we believe; we, like Doubting Thomas, we need to see the holes, those marks that don't go away, but remain to remind us that it is real and it counts towards us, personally. Actually, I think that's what did it for Thomas, not just that he saw the holes, not even that he was able to poke into them; but that the Lord asked him to do it. If Jesus would have just shown him the marks, it might have been well enough; but Jesus answered his request, making it personal and exactly what he needed to know. It's like Elijah, when he fled to Mount Horeb; God spoke, and then Elijah looked for a sign, something that would cause his faith to be grounded and sure. There was the strong wind, the great earthquake, and a fire; none of them were giving him the sign that he needed. But then there was the still small voice, saying, "Why do you still doubt Me?" Actually, God said,
"What doest thou here, Elijah?" But it was the second time God asked him that same question, so God was pretty much saying, "Why are you still here?" I might have said, 'I don't know, you tell me; because I can't quite figure it out!' Sometimes our faith can turn off and on as easy as flipping a light switch on and off; but God is not the one who has changed, one little bit, it's us; we are the ones who move, we are the ones who forget how much God really loves us, how much He is for us, and how much He has done to ensure our salvation. Not only are we a part of God's wonderful work of saving the world, we are the reason! We are the priests that get to blow the trumpets! And when we do, God remembers! It's recorded in heaven and secured for eternity in God's remembrance; and believe it or not, it counts for more than you know...
""Soon your descendants will come back, and all who are trying to destroy you will go away. Look around and see, for all your children will come back to you. As surely as I live," says the LORD, "they will be like jewels or bridal ornaments for you to display. "Even the most desolate parts of your abandoned land will soon be crowded with your people. Your enemies who enslaved you will be far away. The generations born in exile will return and say, 'We need more room! It's crowded here!' Then you will think to yourself, 'Who has given me all these descendants? For most of my children were killed, and the rest were carried away into exile. I was left here alone. Where did all these people come from? Who bore these children? Who raised them for me?'" This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "See, I will give a signal to the godless nations. They will carry your little sons back to you in their arms; they will bring your daughters on their shoulders. Kings and queens will serve you and care for all your needs. They will bow to the earth before you and lick the dust from your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD. Those who trust in me will never be put to shame."" (Isaiah 49:17-23) NLT