Remember

"So remember this and keep it firmly in mind: The Lord is God both in heaven and on earth, and there is no other" Deuteronomy 4:39

One of the most fascinating abilities of  human beings lies in our ability to remember.  Just think about all the things you have experienced and memorized in your life. Bible verses, songs, phone numbers, addresses. The Preamble to the Constitution, who won the World Series in 1990.

And it goes beyond facts and figures. Memory is tied to our senses as well. We remember what we see and can call up those memories. We not only remember our favorite blue shirt but can see it. We have memories triggered by smells and touch as well. Think about your home on Thanksgiving, or Christmas. The smells of those holidays come rushing back. We remember the sensation of holding the hand of our beloved for the first time.

How powerful is our memory? Our memories are so powerful they can trigger the emotions associated with remembered events. How big is our memory? I don't know if anyone knows. I am told that we never really forget anything. It's all there simply needing the right stimulus to bring it back.

I know.  You're reading this thinking, "If my memory is so powerful, why did it take me five minutes to remember my password to log onto my computer today? Or why did I pause on the stairs this morning trying to remember where I was going and what I was going after?"

While we never forget anything, it seems our  memories  put things in a proper order. So the things that are more immediate and important to you (Anniversaries birthdays, the words to Freebird) are easier to pull up in our head then say, an address we haven't needed in thirty years. We tend to forget, or lay aside certain things, if they are not immediate or seen as a priority.

God always wants to be the immediate and the ultimate priority of our lives. He knows that what was true of Israel in the book of Deuteronomy is also true for you and me. We can get caught up in our problems. We can get overwhelmed by stress and the situations of life. And when we do, we can forget we have a God who is more powerful than our situations. Or we can get so full of ourselves during times of success that we forget God altogether. We have a few successes in life, some good days, and all of a sudden our worship time begins to grow shorter. And we forget the God who makes all things possible through His blessings. Or the weight of our sin can erase a God of love and mercy from our minds.

And so God says daily you must remember that I am God. Keep it firmly in your mind. I am God. Bigger than your problems, the author of all your blessings, the finisher of your faith, the one who loves you even in the midst of your sins.

So how can we remember? Its not that hard.  Read your Bibles daily.  Pray daily. And when you pray, begin your prayer time not with a request but with thanksgiving.  Take a moment today and remember. And let that memory change your life.

In Christ,
Rev. Dr. Brian Jones <><