“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not ALL His benefits.,,” Psalm 103:2
Throughout Scripture, though we are admonished to not dwell on the past, to be wrongly influenced by it, we are called upon to remember that which is good, especially and primarily that which God has revealed of Himself to the heart, but also that which He has accomplished in the life, and in the lives of so many around us. Perhaps one of the greatest points of remembrance has to do with God’s covenants to man, through Abraham, continuing through the patriarchs, then culminating in the glorious new covenant based upon the precious blood of Christ, shed on Calvary for the sins of all men. This it the pinnacle of the revelation of God’s goodness to men, the provision of a salvation that is perfect, eternal, unchanging, and holy. It is a covenant of redemption, deliverance, blessing, and provision, in every way, for time and eternity. The call of God to remember this covenant is visualized in the partaking of the Lord’s Supper, where we “…proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.”(1 Cor. 11:26) In the act of partaking of the Lord’s Supper, we are called upon to remember Christ, His suffering and dying, His love, His perfect work accomplished forever, the very basis and essence of our salvation. This we must remember, and not forget, nor neglect. For in the remembrance of His calculated sacrifice, and the total embracing of the cross, there was the most complete, and monumental eternal declaration of the love of the Father, the Son, by the Spirit. God the Father had set His love upon the eternal Son, calling Him “…My Beloved Son.” This Christ was the only, solitary, and singular One worthy to redeem men from their sins, and death. Hence, we see this slain Lamb of God in heaven, having offered His own precious blood as the payment for our sins, come before the Father to receive the eternal inheritance that He has won on Calvary. That inheritance in greatest part, if not the whole, concerns the eternal salvation of men, women, and children. He must be remembered by every believer and proclaimed the sole Mediator between God and men to the world. This blessing, to know God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, by the Spirit, is the greatest blessing of God given to men.
What about lesser blessings? Are we to dwell on them? Can they be a hindrance to faith? In Psalm 34, David recounts the blessings of God concerning a moment when the Lord intervened very clearly to deliver David from death. The remembrance of that event, the circumstances which brought David to the point of “seeking the Lord,” and “crying out” to Him, resulted in David’s present effectual prayer, and the earnest petition of His soul. God would intervene to deliver David in a very difficult life-threatening circumstance, in the midst of a turbulent ocean of great troubles. David was hemmed in, and the enemy was closing in upon him. From this man who knew what he was, “a poor man,” rose the cry for help in his helplessness. This cry would reach heaven’s God, David’s King and Help, to find “the angel of the Lord” who would encamp all round him. He would find this God, who was a very present help in trouble, to be the One possessing all resources, for David would declare, and prove the truth that, “…there is no want to those who fear Him, … but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.” (34:10) Certainly David’s memory of God as His Shepherd, caused him to trust in Him again, and in greater measure, to provide in a manner that would declare His faithfulness.
What is then the blessed result of remembering God’s goodness? It is the strengthening of faith in the faithful God, regardless of the circumstances. It is a worship of, and a magnifying of God by praise and thanksgiving. It is a proof to all men that, “none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.”
Dear Father, We would remember Thee. In Jesus’ name, Amen.