Good day everyone, I pray that at the time you are reading this you are finding your life filled to overflowing with the Lord’s  joy!!

Let me begin by telling you that my wife, Gail, and I just celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary on Sunday May 1, 2011. WOW!!! I know, I can’t even believe it myself when I stop to think about it 🙂 How many of you watched the Royal Wedding on TV this past Friday? Quite a spectacle I might say. As I watched that historic wedding take place on TV I had to admit that our wedding was pale in comparison to that unbelievable wedding many of us saw on TV, but our wedding day was still wonderful to us.

As I watched the royal wedding, I began to search my memory to see how much of our wedding day 35 years ago that I could still remember.  I was simply amazed at how much of our wedding day that I could still remember, although my wife is always saying that she is amazed how good my memory is about things of my past.

As I thought about my how good my memory was about certain things or certain events of my past, I realized the only reason I was able to do that was because I choose to remember those things.

Our capability to remember certain events or words is quite amazing but it is also amazing how much it seems that we can’t remember. Sometimes we tell others we can’t remember certain things  because we are trying to look for an excuse to not be held accountable to our mistakes. Yet, we are more than glad as Christians that the Lord has a great memory, right.

In Exodus 6 as the Lord was about to deliver the Israelites from under the yoke of slavery of the Egyptians and Pharaoh, the Lord declared in Exodus 6:7-8 “I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God who brought you our from under the yoke of the Egyptians. And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.”  We are also quick to say to the Lord as David did in Psalm 25:6-7 “Remember, O Lord, Your great mercy and love, for they are from old. Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to Your love remember me, for You are good O Lord.” We also love to quote Isaiah 64:9 “Do not be angry beyond measure, O Lord; do not remember our sins forever. Oh, look upon us we pray, for we are all Your people.” There are many other Scriptures found in the Word of God that speak about what the Lord remembers but there are also Scriptures in the Word of God that speak to what we are to remember. 

When Jesus was giving instructions to His disciples in John 15, He began John 15:20a by saying, “Remember the words I spoke to you,”  Moses gave the Israelites,as well as us today, some very important words of instruction in Deuteronomy 8:11“Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe His commands, His laws and His decrees that I am giving you today.” Proverbs 3:1-2 “My son, do not forget My teaching, but keep My commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity.”

It is always amazing to me as to what we  choose to remember. The stats of our favorite team or player; events that changed our life or world, the place we were when something great took place, the name of our first love, the favorite food or color of the one we are trying to impress and the list goes on. Yet when it comes to the things of the Lord, His commands, His desire for our life, it seems that we somehow always forget what they are; I wonder why that is. Hmmm 🙂

As I said earlier, I do have an amazing detailed memory to the things or events of my early years that I choose to remember yet I also know when it comes to the things and commands of the Lord,  at times I struggle trying to remember what they are; or am I just looking for an excuse; a way out!

The Lord declares in Isaiah 49:15-16” Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands; your walls are ever before Me.”

Memories can be pleasant or at times painful and difficult to erase, but knowing that the Lord will never forget us should bring joy to our hearts. Jesus said in Matthew 10:30-31 “And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

There is a demand on us today to remember a lot of things but only one thing is important that we remember, the Lord’s Word for our life. So how’s your memory my friend? What is it that you have chosen to remember?