Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced, O descendants of Israel his servant, O sons of Jacob, his chosen ones.  He is the Lord our God; his judgments are in all the earth.  He remembers his covenant forever…

1 Chronicles 16:12-15

As individual writers we have been asked to write about what we have been learning recently.  I have been in a bible study this fall written by Beth Moore.  It is entitled “Believing God”, and I want to share what I have learned from the lessons two weeks ago.  It is all about remembering.  We find in scripture references to man remembering what God has said to him, and references of God remembering his promises to man.  As I read those verses, I asked myself (along with Beth Moore), “Does God really forget?” Genesis 8:1 says “God remembered Noah and all the animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded.”  Had God forgotten all about Noah as he floated over the flooded earth?  Wouldn’t you hope that after God commanded Noah to build that ark and put all the animals in it, it would not have slipped his mind after the flood?

As I read and studied the scriptures given in the lesson, it was clear that God’s “remembering” was very different than ours.   As strange as it sounds, God’s remembering is not preceded by forgetting.  His remembering is more a matter of giving attention to someone or something, and it is almost always followed by some action.  God remembers Noah, and then sends a wind to dry the land (Genesis 8:1).  God remembers Rachel and then opens her womb (Genesis 30:22).  God remembers his covenant with Israel and promises to set them free from slavery (Exodus 6:5, 6).  God remembers the Israelites as they battle in war and promises to rescue them from the enemy (Numbers 10:9).  And although he will never forget us as it says in Isaiah 49:15-16, there may be times in our lives when we feel like he has.  He has not.  He is waiting for the best time to act on our behalf.  Almost every time we read of God remembering, we then read of a subsequent action on his part.  He does not forget us.  He takes note of us and acts.  That is a comfort indeed!

But God can forget….or should I say “choose not to remember”.  Isaiah 43:25 says “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.”  Of course, for all of us, this is great news!  I am not sure how this works–whether God really cannot remember my sin anymore, or whether he cannot see it anymore because it is under the blood of Christ and behind the finished work of the cross.  Truthfully, I do not care which way it is.  I am just thankful that this is the truth: that he does not hold me accountable for my sin any longer, and I have had my transgressions blotted out by God.  This truth is one that we should never forget.  But our enemy would like nothing better than for us to lose sight of this and live in defeat and guilt from our sin.  Ask God to burn this truth in your mind and write it on your heart so that no matter what has happened in your life, you can experience victory as a clean, forgiven child of God.

God remembers his people.  He acts on their behalf in times of need.  God remembers their sin no more.  He has washed us spotless with the blood of Christ.  These are two truths that we can hold on to and stand on when Satan tries to convince us of the opposite.  If we live our lives believing and acting like we believe these things, we will have assurance and confidence in the face of hard times and accusations.  God wants us to remember who he is and what he has done for us.  So, don’t forget!

make it real

  1. Are you sure that God has forgiven you for your sin, or are you listening to lies from Satan?
  2. Do you believe that God is always with you and ready to act on your behalf, or have you believed the lie that he does not care and has forgotten you?
  3. Write out Isaiah 43:25 on an index card and put it in a place where you can read it often.

prayer

Dear Father, thank you that you have forgiven my sins–even ones that I have not committed yet. Thank you that you choose not to remember my sins against me any longer, and you do not see my sin when you see me.  Thank you that they are hidden beneath the blood of Christ. And Lord, remind me that you do remember me at all times, even when it feels like you are far away. Let me see and believe that you are waiting to act on my behalf as you take note of my life and struggles. Help me to rest in the fact that you are an omnipotent God and I am your child.  I love you,  Amen.