"When I remember God . . . ."
It is so easy to go through our day and forget God. That is until something goes against our plans or our comfort. Then we remember but do we remember rightly?
Consider:
Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called
"the uncircumcision" by what is called the circumcision, which is
made in the flesh by hands-- remember
that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the
commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no
hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were
far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. (Eph 2:11-13)
Do we "remember" this or do we simply remember the comfort we have lost and that God has allowed (willed) it to pass? Do we remember that He is sovereign or do we simply remember that He is able to bring us comfort and bring us out of any affliction. Do we remermber God or our warped and twisted view of God as a Genie or Santa Claus?
Do we remember:
"Remember this and stand firm,
recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I
am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring
the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying,
'My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose, (Isa 46:8-10
Do we remember that God is God and we are not? Do we remember that we are His slaves and He is not ours? Do we remember that regardless of our perspective and sense, all He does is good and gracious? Do we remember rightly or selfishly?
Our God is the God of grace and mercy as well as the God of justice and holiness. His goal for us is to be holy as He is. At times this means we see Him protecting and providing comfort. At other times we see this in His twisting our plans, taking our comfort, saying no to our dreams. This is the God of the Bible, the God who is first and whose goal is first - at least for Him if not for us.
We read in James and Romans that "patience" is a product of trials. But we often see patience wrongly. We tend to see patience as our "putting up with" whatever difficulty we are facing. We tolerate it until it is over - at least we pretend to. But this poor view of patience/perseverance is faulty. It is not a standing still in the face of adversity - it is a moving forward. It is a pressing on towards the goal we have in Christ Jesus.
There is as much good purpose in God's buffetings as there are in His blessings. Indeed, from His and the Word's perspective, buffetings are blessings.
Too often our faith is a facile faith. We prefer to live by "Jesus loves me this I know," and to ignore that His, "counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose."
We forget that His purpose is to conform us to the likeness of the Son, to enable us to do the good works He has prepared for us to do, to glorify and enjoy Him. We forget that even though we are redeemed we still fight the principle of evil that resided in our flesh. We forget that only heat will bring the dross to the surface that the gold or silver may be pure. We forget that God is good and we are not - that God is God and we are not. We forget.
And why do we forget? Because we do not work at remembering. We do as little as we can to fill our minds and hearts with Him. Not in some belly-button meditating manner but rather in intentional, consistent and continuing hard prayerful work and intellectual effort . We don't mind being told what He has said and He has done but we do mind having to go dig the ore out for ourselves. We don't want to do the hard work of living as His - which begins with His work in us and continues in our work with Him by the power of His Spirit within us.
Like Israel in the dessert we murmur against Him when either the good He brings doesn't measure up to our expectations or the evil (trials) He allows inconvenience of discomfort us. We whine and pull our hair and complain to and about Him.
Where did we ever get the idea that anything He does for, to, in or around us is bad? How could we ever be brought to such a blasphemous place? One reason is that we have failed miserably to take advantage of all He has given us to prepare us for all He will give us.
We fail to study and meditate upon His word.
We fail to pray diligently and often.
We fail to be about the work He has given us to do.
We fail to examine ourselves in the light of the Word.
We fail to put Him and His agenda first.
We fail to be grateful.
We fail to be humble.
We fail to submit.
We fail.
And in that failure He works even harder to bring us to Himself. He may well have to buffet us to bring us to blessings and He will. What parent would not risk injuring their child to remove a poison from their tiny fist. What loving friend would not shove one into the dirt to save them from a rushing car? A surgeon must cut to save. A doctor must poke and prod to diagnose and yet while we allow this for our benefit we resent God cutting and poking and prodding for our blessing.
I do not, ""remember my song in the night; let me meditate in my heart," if I ever sang one to begin with.
Our Psalmist says he will make a diligent search and this follows:
"Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable? Has his steadfast love forever ceased? Are his promises at an end for all time? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion?" Selah Then I said, "I will appeal to this, to the years of the right hand of the Most High." I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds. Your way, O God, is holy. What god is great like our God?
(Psa 77:7-13)
He repents, recalling God as God and nothing else. Will we?
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