Psalms 115:11-13 - You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield. The Lord has remembered us; He will bless us; He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron; He will bless those who fear the Lord, both the small and the great.
Nobody likes to be ignored or forgotten.
I remember a pastor who told me about a church picnic his congregation had sponsored. Unfortunately, one of the senior members of his church had been out of town when the plans were being made, and she hadn't been officially informed about the festivities.
The night before the picnic the pastor realized the oversight and immediately gave the lady an apologetic call. His efforts fell on deaf ears.
Brushing off the pastor's regrets with a cold reception, the lady replied, "Don't say you're sorry to me, Reverend. It won't do any good. I've already prayed for rain."
When I heard that story, I felt sorry for the pastor and, in truth, I felt sorrier for the lady. Still, it all goes to prove that nobody likes to be written off; nobody likes to be forgotten or ignored. Thankfully, none of us have to worry about the Lord ever forgetting us.
That's what Psalm 115 says: "The Lord has remembered us; He will bless us." Did I say that truth is found in Psalm 115? Goodness, the entire Bible shows that God remembers sinners! God remembered lost and condemned Adam and Eve and promised to send them a Savior. The Lord remembered Abraham and promised he would father a nation. The Lord remembered the children of Israel when they were in Egyptian slavery, and He remembered a Sinai shepherd and called Moses to lead His people to freedom.
When Jesus walked this earth, He remembered.
Read through the Gospels, and you will see how the Savior remembered people, especially those who had been forgotten or who were rejected by others. Jesus remembered lepers and the lost; He remembered publicans and shepherds; He remembered a widow whose only son had died, and He remembered a lady in Samaria who went to the town well alone. From the cross, through excruciating pain, He remembered a thief, the woman who had given Him birth, and those who had put Him there.
As you stand before Jesus' cross, I pray you will keep in mind two things: first, recall God's all-knowing Son remembered every sin you have ever committed. Second, remember it was not the iron nails—but Jesus' love—that kept Him on that cross.
Jesus stayed on the cross to pay the price for our sins. Today, because of this, forgiveness and salvation is offered to all. Yes, my friend, you have been remembered.
THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You for remembering me. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.
Taken from "Purpose," a message by Rev. Dr. Ken Klaus, former Speaker of The Lutheran Hour
Reflection Questions:
1. Do you do anything to remember special occasions in people's lives?
2. How has God remembered us in Jesus?
3. Are people, in general, surprised when others remember something about them?
Today's Bible Readings: Jeremiah 18-19 Colossians 3
To Download Devotion MP3 to your computer, right click here and select "Save Link As" or "Save Target As" or "Download Linked File As"