Help us to remember

        Remember.
        Over and over again in God's Word, we are told to remember.  
        Remember God.  Remember Who He is.  Remember what He has done.  Remember His goodness.  Remember His greatness. Remember His grace.  Remember His promises.  Remember His power.  Remember His love.  Remember His countless gifts to you.
        "While I was fainting away, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came to You, into Your holy temple." (Jonah 2:7)
        "Remember the former things long past, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me." (Isa.46:9)
        "Remember His wonderful deeds which He has done, His marvels and the judgments from His mouth." (I Chron.16:12)
         "And He took the bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying 'This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.'" (Luke 22:19)
        "Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the works you did at first..." (Rev.2:2)
        "So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it and repent..." (Rev.3:3)
        You'd think I'd have learned this lesson by now.  I mean, after all, how hard is it to simply remember?  Evidence of God's extravagant goodness is all around us.  We have His Word.  We have the church.  We have other believers.  We have our past history of God's unrelenting faithfulness to us.  Surely remembering should be simple, right?
         Well, maybe for you, but not for this slow learner and quick forgetter!  And come on, truth be told, don't we all tend far to easily to default to those bad old destructive habits of worrying...or complaining...or fretting...or doubting?  And whenever we do that, we're failing to remember.
        "Yeah sure," we think, "Father, You've been faithful in the past.  Your Word is true.  You are forever faithful and true and unchanging and good.  I can say all that.  I know all that intellectually, but, but, but..."
          Oh mercy, in the heat of battle, in the darkness of disease, in the cauldron of pain, in the fires of affliction, in the nitty gritty of life's muddy trenches, we forget...or at least I sure do.  In fact, just today, I realized to my horror and shame that I completely forgot about a baby shower.  Had it written down on my calendar.  Had already ordered the presents from the registry.  Had excitedly planned to attend....and utterly forgot.  I wanted to cry when I realized my terrible lapse in memory.  What on earth?  How could I be that ridiculously and terribly forgetful?  Even as I write this, I feel like weeping.    
           Well, what a vivid and sad example of how prone I am to forgetting.  Sigh.  Oh Father, forgive me and help me to remember.  Help me to remember You. Help me to remember Your faithfulness. Help me to remember Your promises.  Help me to remember Your love...and forgiveness...and grace...and power...and provision...and mercy.
          Father, from before time began, You always remembered me...please, please help me to always remember You.
          I close with Tim Keller's powerful prayer: "Lord, I worry because I forget Your wisdom, I resent because I forget Your mercy, I covet because I forget Your beauty, I sin because I forget Your holiness, I fear because I forget Your sovereignty.  You always remember me; help me to always remember You."  Amen and amen.
          Oh how thankful I am for my Heavenly Father who never, ever, ever forgets.  And how thankful I am for grace.  Help us, Lord, to remember.  To God be the glory.