FORGET NOT!
It is interesting that the Scriptures remind us not to forget and yet that is exactly what we do – we forget!
There is a particular verse in the Bible which fascinated me when I first read it many years ago, and it holds no less intrigue for me today. This is what it says:
For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a mirror: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. James 1:23-24
At first I didn’t believe what it said, because it was telling me that when I looked at myself in a mirror, perhaps to comb my hair, and then when I left the bathroom, I immediately forgot what I looked like. No matter how many times I have put this to the test, I instantly forget what I looked like!!
No wonder God reminds us, not to forget!
Beware lest thou forget the Lord, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. Deuteronomy 6:12
So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite’s hope shall perish: whose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust shall be a spider’s web. Job 8:13-14
I will delight myself in Thy statutes: I will not forget Thy Word. I will never forget Thy precepts: for with them thou hast quickened me. Psalm 119:16+93
There are moments everywhere in life to help us remember great events, but if I had my way there would be one exception:
Going to the Dentist! But even then they have that covered, because they will give you a reminder call or text message when your next appointment is due.
Remembering requires an act of the will. There has to be a desire. There are also many things that help our memories, one of which is appreciation. We are not apt to remember what we do not appreciate.
I am sure you will agree that during our school days the subjects we did our best at were the ones we liked. Likewise, the teachers we did our best work for, were the ones we appreciated.
If we really appreciate what Jesus did for us on the Cross, we will remember. We will not forget what He did for us in paying the penalty for our sin. We will remember what we Love, simply because Love is a compelling and captivating force.
- Can a Mother forget her child?
- Can a Father forget his family?
- They are all part of each other.
- Possession means love.
- And Love means remembrance.
There are other reasons for remembrance:
- Obligation.
- Indebtedness
We will remember if we have any sense of responsibility and any measure of maturity.
A Father will have both and therefore will remember his family.
A believer will have both and will therefore remember what the Saviour has done for Him. We will remember because the Saviour has given us life, even plucking us from the jaws of Hell itself!
As believers, we all have an obligation to serve Christ and to spread the Gospel. We have an indebtedness to Him for what He did for us at Calvary. Our Salvation is the reason we remember Jesus with Appreciation and Love.
We love Him, because He first loved us.
May the Lord help us each and every day to Forget Not!