MEMORY FAILURE

Extended reading: 2 Timothy 2:1-13

Devotional reading: Verse 8

“Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel.”

Forgetfulness is a present reality for all of us. The level at which each of us forget is as broad as it is high, but as humans in a sin-fallen world, we struggle to remember things. Our dilemma is portrayed humorously in this story.

There’s a man from the city who was visiting relatives on a farm. He was out walking around with the farmer when the farmer gave a whistle and his dog herded the cattle into the corral, and then latched the gate with her paw. “Wow, that’s some dog. What’s her name?” The forgetful farmer thought a minute, and then asked, “What do you call that red flower that smells good and has thorns on the stem?” “A rose?” “That’s it!” The farmer turned and called out to his wife. “Hey Rose, what do we call this dog?” (Source Unknown).

Not remembering our spouses name is a problem, But not remembering Jesus Christ and what He has accomplished for us is a BIGGER problem.

The Bible is full of exhortations to remember, for example:

Deuteronomy 6:12
“Then take care lest you forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.”

Acts 20:35
“In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

1 Corinthians 11:24
“And when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

1 Chronicles 16:12
“Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles and the judgments he uttered.”

Exodus 20:8-11
“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.”

This small collection of scriptures should be more than enough to open our eyes to see and our ears to hear the loving counsel our Father in heaven would have us heed, as we move forward in our Christian walk. They are pointed reminders of just how prone we are to forget basic BUT important truths.

What happens in our hearts and lives that leads us into the pit of forgetfulness?

It might begin with not taking the Lord’s day seriously OR we stop attending services. We stop seeing God’s amazing creation as amazing anymore. We may stop reading our bibles as we should and then before we can blink an eye, we struggle remembering what was written there.

Such changes in my walk tend to lead me into behaviors that clearly reveal how quickly I am forgetting bible truth.

I stray (Get off track)
I slight (ignore)
I struggle (Life gets complicated)

But how are we supposed to remember the Lord, His words, the Lord’s day, His amazing works and wonders, and the gospel if we are prone to forget? I have good news for you! God has provided the aid we need to help us remember!

God gives us a variety of practices or graces that are designed to help us remember. Sunday (The Lord’s day), the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Each exists to remind us of some significant aspect of our faith and the God who created, redeemed, and sustains us each day.

Oh, how wise and merciful our Father is! These are things that we witness AND take part of on a regular basis. With such aids as this we can confidently express the sentiments of the Psalmist below:

Psalm 77:11
“I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old.”