Remember

On Sunday, I concluded a two-part message, probably one of the most important messages I have ever preached, yes, nothing less. I preached on Psalm 103, 'Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.' The psalm is a superb description of God's works and benefits to His people and culminates in a vast, unfathomable praise that even calls upon the angels. It is a vibrant invitation to constantly remember God's works. Moses, too, insistently called his people 'to forget not all his benefits.' But of course they did, forget, I mean.

Imagine the astonishing sight of the sea opening to let the people pass on dry land, and turning to submerge those who pursued God's people. One might think that The sight of such a spectacle could only mark them forever and establish in them a sure, unshakeable, and eternal faith and gratitude. Period. Barely a few days later, faced with another challenge, bitter water everywhere and nothing to drink, the people began to murmur, grumble, gossip, and mope. They quickly forgot. And the same pattern repeated itself each time: challenges, murmurs, rebellion, deliverance, joy, challenges….

And before we look down on these 'incorrigible' Israelis, let us remember that we are hardly any better. We forget so quickly, we go from the heights of joy and gratitude for a miracle, a deliverance, salvation, to the depths of despair, irritation with God, with the Pastor, and rebellion. We sing, we dance, we declare 'hallelujah,' and if we are die-hard charismatics, we intone a thunderous 'praise be to God,' and then, in the blink of an eye, we forget everything. We do not remember or continue to celebrate God's goodness to us in the past. Yet the Bible exhorts us to remember.

Charles Spurgeon tells this story about a man who did not forget. “Hutton, Bishop of Durham, was riding one day through the dreary northern hills. He stopped, handed his horse over to his servant, and stepped aside from the street to kneel at a certain spot. This he always did whenever he came to that spot; for in the day of riches and honor, he had not forgotten that when he was but a poor lad he rode through those wild hills without shoes or stockings, and that one day he had to push a cow from its resting place in order to warm his feet with the little warmth that remained where the animal had lain down. He had since become bishop of a wealthy diocese, and a man of renown, but he never passed that spot without kneeling and praising God.”

Likewise, we too have in our history these defining moments, 'the day when...' as Moses said. We have markers of divine favor in our lives, these moments when God came and drew us out of great waters. The psalmist says to you and me, 'forget not any of his benefits.' And the chief benefit we have received from God is His Son Jesus. We can certainly recite John 3:16 in the deepest sleep, but sometimes we miss the living reality of it, that inner awareness of God which brings us into total and utter submission and joy. Now Jesus Himself asks us to remember, and when He instituted the Lord's Supper, He declared 'do this in remembrance of me.' And it is incumbent upon us to do so.

'Do not forget any of his benefits.'