James Montgomery wrote a hymn entitled “According To Thy Gracious Word” which is meant to be sung in preparation for Communion. The emphasis is on remembering what Jesus did for us on the Cross.
The last two verses in particular are poignant:
“Remember Thee and all Thy pains, And all Thy love to me;
Yea, while a breath, a pulse remains, Will I remember Thee.
And when these failing lips grow dumb, and mind and mem’ry flee,
When Thou shalt in Thy kingdom come, Jesus, remember me.”
As we get older we tend to be more forgetful. I’m at that stage of life when I can identify with “failing lips” due to “mind and mem’ry fleeing”!
Recently someone came up to me and said, “Are you Pastor Graham?” When I said “Yes”, she proceeded to recount how years ago, I had helped her and her non-Christian husband during a crisis regarding his job. As she spoke and shared more details, it slowly came back.
A friend showed me several letters/cards which I had written to encourage him years ago when I was studying overseas. I had completely forgotten I had written them.
Our memories may one day crash like a computer’s faulty drive. But in the end it does not matter whether we remember or not. What matters is that what we did mattered to someone else because it had to do with their welfare or their spiritual edification.
Revelation 20:12 reminds us that there are “books” and “The Book.” What we have done during our lifetime is “recorded in the books”. This is in addition to THE BOOK OF LIFE (Rev 20:15) in which is recorded the names of all believers. God’s sombre warning is that “if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” God “remembers” and He keeps a “Master File” so none who belong to Him are “forgotten”. Nor is anything forgotten that was done in His name and for His sake during a person’s lifetime.
John Newton, the slave trader who was converted and who later wrote “Amazing Grace” suffered from poor health and eye problems towards the end of his life. Before he went home to his Lord in 1807 in London, Newton said: “Although my memory is fading, I remember two things very clearly: I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Saviour.”
Whatever else we forget, never forget Jesus Christ our Saviour, our Master and Eternal Friend. He will certainly not forget you.
Ps Graham
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