“Do this to remember me.” 1 Corinthians 11:24 NLT
According to this verse, it seems that Christians can forget Christ! There would be no need for this loving warning if there were not the fearsome possibility that our memories might prove treacherous. And this is not simply a fear. It is, sadly, well confirmed in our experience, not as a possibility but as a regrettable fact. It seems impossible that we who have been redeemed by the blood of the dying Lamb, and loved with an everlasting love by the eternal Son of God, would forget our gracious Savior. But even if the idea is startling to the ear, it is sadly too apparent to the eye for us to deny the crime. Forget Him who never forgot us? Forget Him who poured out His blood for our sins? Forget Him who loved us to the death? Can it be possible? Yes, not only possible, but our conscience confesses that it is a fault with all of us—we treat Him a wandering traveler who stays just for a night. The one who should be the ongoing resident of our memory is only a visitor there. The cross—where you would think memory would linger and neglect would never intrude—is desecrated by our forgetfulness. Doesn’t your conscience say this is true? Don’t you sometimes find yourself forgetful of Jesus? Some lesser thing steals away your heart, and you stray from the one who should hold your affections. Some earthly business captures your attention when you should fix your eye steadily on the cross. The incessant turmoil of the world, the constant attraction of earthly things, takes our souls away from Christ. Human memory may preserve poisonous weeds while allowing the rose of Sharon to wither. May we tie a heavenly forget-me-not around our hearts for Jesus our Beloved—whatever else we let slip, let us hold tightly to Him. - C.H. Spurgeon Morning and Evening
When the fire is turned up, the more our focus changes. From several dozen sensations to one or two. When the fire is abated, we sense no pain, anguish, strife or despair. In a short while it's as if nothing has happened.
We can be lulled into the world by it's silky strings of temptation. To buy this bigger, better thing, to buy that item because it's new and improved. We see the ideal person and are softly encouraged to go through this or that to become like them and THEN you will be happy. Until the next commercial.
We are bombarded with reasons to forget Jesus.
We are under a constant attack from waking up til we sleep again. The reason is simple, Satan knows how to get to each of us better than we do ourselves. He will not let up in trying to twist our thinking. He will not let up in keeping Christians preoccupied to the point that they miss opportunities to share Christ. He will not willingly let go of those whom he has claimed that thus far have rejected Christ.
There is a book titled "The Battlefield of the Mind". I have not read it nor have I any plans to do so. It's the title that's important right now. Because you and I face battles every day in regards to what we think. We won't see peace from that until Christ calls people out of this world. Some to peaceful rest in Christ, others, whom refused and rejected Christ, to torment in Hell. Certainly no peace there.
The sheer importance of being in God's Word is far greater than any daily need for the local or world news. It's greater than any need for magazines or newspapers. Certainly in our day and age than videos or websites. Without a renewing of the mind by prayer and time in the Bible, you and I will forget. We will slip and allow Satan a foothold. We will slip and be convinced otherwise because we won't see it. We will begin to forget.
Someone wrote that many used to read the Saturday Evening Post for a week, due to there being that much content. The same person says that the New Testament can also be read in a week. If only we could or would treat it with that kind of importance!
Satan will always try both subtlety and overt methods of gaining our attention. He will even convince people that what they are focusing on is THAT important. Pouring hours into workouts to excess. To gain awards. Rather than working to be fit in order to be ready to be out in the world.
I am by no stretch of the imagination saying that I have arrived at understanding all that God is doing or trying to get done in my life. If anything I am clueless til the next thing happens. As the hymn goes "Where He leads me I will follow...". The Disciples had to let go of their perceptions of life by spending time in prayer and praise, time in the Bible, to gain God's perspective. If they did, are we any different?
I struggle more these opening months of 2021 than I think I did in all of the tribulations of 2020. Physical and emotional issues. Abnormal things at work. Vehicle problems. In comparison wearing a mask or getting a vaccine seems to pale in comparison. It's rough and will be for quite some time yet I think.
I don't understand and in as much as I pray, Jesus isn't ready to explain it yet. I have to follow where He leads. As do you.
It's an interesting comparison that I don't know if anyone has seen. The story of Zaccheous and the result of meeting Jesus....and the rich young ruler. Both were rich, both were Israelites. Both came face to face with Jesus. Only one remembered God's Word. Both were wrapped up in the joys and benefits of prosperity. Yet one realized after meeting Jesus that he had to let go of his life if he wanted to find it, the other refused to let go, couldn't bring himself to do it. God's Word had no REAL place in his heart and mind. He knew how to obey the rules but not how to obey with his heart.
What are you doing to keep Jesus alive and well within you? Are your thoughts about you or about the things of God?
Can you stand unashamed and say you have read God's Word in its entirety? You who claim the name of Jesus, have you read His love letter to you? A great great problem are those who claim to have read it and have gone away not being changed by it. The world is more important to them. Satan will try to snatch away the Word of God to try to prevent people from being changed by it. Jesus said so.
What are you holding in high regard?
What is most important to you?
Is your status in the world more important than your obedience to God? Is your happiness, the happiness of family more important than you being right before God?
Certainly too...have you even read your Bible in its entirety? Will you stand ashamed before Christ when asked?
Where He Leads...will you follow?
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