Sunday September 6, 2020

God Has a Great Memory

In this hymn of praise, the psalmist exhorts others to reflect upon the goodness of God toward the righteous. The Lord’s mighty works, awesome power, and unfailing love lead His people to praise Him. This psalm also reassures the believer that God is always mindful of our needs. In fact, He promises to remember us.

What does it mean to be remembered by the Lord? The writer of Hebrews even questions why we should even be remembered at all! And yet, God does…and it it a very powerful truth.

But one testified in a certain place, saying:  “What is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You take care of him? (Heb.2:6)

The word remember means, “to mark, to be recognized, to keep, to be fixed in the mind.” When we pray the simple prayer, “Remember me, Lord,” He is stirred to recall promises made and to be mindful of our need. It is like sounding an alarm in the heart of God…not that He needs reminding…it is really more for us. When we sound the alarm, God remembers us.

When you go to war in your land against the enemy who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, and you will be remembered before the Lord your God, and you will be saved from your enemies. (Num.10:9)

 Remind yourself of what that means. It means that God has marked you and has you fixed in His mind. How marvelous is that? We see this simple prayer throughout scripture and when it was prayed, great blessings and long awaited answers were revealed.

  • Samson asked to be remembered and was given strength (Judg.16:28-30)
  • Hannah prayed that prayer and was given the desire of her heart (1 Sam.1:11, 19)
  • David asked to be remembered and was given a glimpse of God’s goodness (Ps.25:7-8) (See WORD WISDOM for a deeper study of goodness)
  • Jeremiah prayed for remembrance and received the Word (Jer.15:15-16)
  • Hezekiah asked and was given total healing (2 Kin.20:3, 9)

God does remember…and He never forgets. He remembered Noah (Gen.8:1), and Abraham (Gen.19:29), and Cornelius (Acts 10:31), and He remembers His covenant (Lev.26:45). And He remembers us. We are not forgotten. We have not been left to ourselves. We are fixed in the mind and heart of our loving Father.

Sometimes the simplest prayer is the most powerful. We can sound the alarm and He will remember. We cannot forget that He never does. Amen.

A good man deals graciously and lends; He will guide his affairs with discretion. Surely he will never be shaken; The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance. (Ps.112:5-6)

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Related Scripture

A good man deals graciously and lends; He will guide his affairs with discretion. Surely he will never be shaken; The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance.

— Psalm 112:5-6

Word Wisdom

goodness
Greek "agathosune" (ag-ath-oh-soo-nay) Strong’s #19

Beneficence, kindness in actual manifestation, virtue equipped for action, a bountiful propensity both to will and do what is good, intrinsic goodness producing a generosity and a Godlike state or being. "Agathosune" is a rare word that combines being good and doing good.

So...

When Ulysses, during his wanderings through those seas and among those islands about which we heard much in connection with the fighting between the Greeks and Italians, was leaving the enchanted isle where Calypso lived, Calypso came down to the beach as Ulysses was departing on his raft and said to him, “Say good-by to me, but not to the thought of me.” Christ was soon to be separated from His disciples, but He told them not to say good-by to the thought of Him. He would not be forgotten by His friends—not merely, like the enchantress, for the sake of being remembered, but also for their good from age to age. He never forgot the thought of them either.  (Source Unknown)