WHAT DOES GOD REMEMBER?
You’re probably thinking to yourself, “Geez Mark, what an easy question to answer. He remembers everything.”
Actually, the answer to this question has tremendous implications for the emotional, spiritual, and psychological well-being of a Christian. I believe the answer to this question will surprise you, in fact, I have discovered over my 35 years of pastoring, many Christians fail to grasp these amazing truths. In so doing, they miss out on tremendous emotional encouragement, mental strength, psychological well being and spiritual power.
Ponder and absorb these truths!
Psalm 56:8 NLT
You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.
This truth has been an incredible blessing and comfort to me as I have walked through the valley of great suffering, great injustices, extreme hardships, and tribulations. I have shed so many tears over the last 46 years following Jesus Christ. To know, to truly grasp that God himself keeps track of every one of my sorrows, that he collects every tear from my eyes in his bottle because they are so precious to him, that God himself keeps a record of all I have suffered and endured for his sake, for the sake of serving him, the costs I have paid for my faith, fills me with amazing comfort, consolation, and great encouragement. Our sorrows and sufferings matter that much to God. God remembers and records them all.
Hebrews 6:10 NLT
For God is not unfair. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other Christians, as you still do.
As I have watched what has unfolded in Afghanistan, and the colossal, treacherous betrayal of this administration of the 20 years of sacrifice and service of our brave military people and those who trusted us, I have to honestly admit to you, not only does it fill me with the same rage it fills many of you with, but it brings back every single anguished heartache, grief and feelings of rage I experienced at the treacherous betrayal I and my whole family endured and suffered in 2018. I have gone back time and time again to this comforting truth – GOD IS NOT UNFAIR, He will not forget all your hard work for him, and all the love you showed the Christians over all those 40 plus years. God keeps track of it all, as it was really done for him. He will recount it in eternity, and nothing can erase that memory or the record of what we did for him and his people. God remembers it forever and it will be rewarded!!!
Psalm 145:13b NLT
The Lord always keeps his promises; he is gracious in all he does.
What this means to me is life itself. God remembers and always keeps his promises! The last 47 years of my life, I have lived on and by God’s promises to me. His promises to care for me, provide for me, give me wisdom, sustain me, comfort me, answer my prayers, give me strength, help me overcome impossible obstacles, sustain me in the most severe grief, sorrows and loss. They gave me hope and confidence to persevere, to step out in faith and do what God asked me to do. Courage to preach and teach his word. Faith and courage to begin all over again at 62 and start this ministry, Strong Disciple, after my life had been destroyed by those I trusted. His promises kept me from caving in to utter despair and hopelessness. His promises to hear and answer my prayers have been my salvation. His promises are everything! His promises give me life and vitality!
BUT, What God DOES NOT remember has also given me some of the greatest comfort and encouragement of my entire life.
Hebrews 10:17 NLT
“I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds.”
Do you even begin to grasp the emotional, spiritual, psychological impact of that truth? This is the new covenant-Because of Christ,God has forgiven all our sins and lawless deeds and never remembers them again, ever!! “He canceled the record that contained the charges against us! He took it and destroyed it by nailing it to Christ’s cross!” Col. 2:14 NLT
This truth has filled me with a freedom and a power in my life that has been incredible to experience. To know that as I face my earthly days and my eternity, that there is not one of my sins God remembers or keeps a record of, is extraordinarily freeing and exhilarating. It is not because of anything I have done to deserve it or could ever deserve it. It is because of the indescribable gift of God’s grace through Jesus Christ and his bloodshed and his death on the cross for our sins. This is the birthright God has given to each one of us who know Jesus Christ, who has placed our faith in Him. Yet so many Christians, never come to understand or experience this tremendous truth and the amazing freedom and peace it brings to the soul. They are filled with guilt and trepidation because they believe that God remembers all their sins and keeps a record of them. He does not!! That is the truth of the Gospel!
I hope as you ponder these wonderful truths, that you absorb them deep into your heart, mind and soul. Obviously there are countless other things God remembers in his infinite mind. These I felt compelled to share with you today, as they profoundly impact our daily lives.
I would like to leave you with a few messages to hear that will help drive these truths deep into your heart, mind, and experience. Please give them a listen, it will be well worth your time.
https://strongdisciple.com/
https://strongdisciple.com/
Also read this: A Christian’s Birthright
https://strongdisciple.com/wp-
Helping you become a Strong Disciple,
Because of Jesus,
Pastor Mark Darling
