My Responsibility to Remember

For all of those who envision God as a soft old man similar to a cross between Santa Claus and a benevolent Genie, I am here to set things straight.  There is no fitting comparison found on earth for God.  Yes, God is full of love, compassion, and mercy.  But that does not make Him soft or manipulated by the whims of men.  The God I serve, the God who shed His own blood for my sins, is more fierce in His love, justice, and grace than we could imagine.  The same God who says, "My peace I give unto you" is the same God who says this in Psalm 50:22-23:  "Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver: ²³ whoever offers praise glorifies Me; and to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God."  Now there's a verse we don't hear read too often!

As much as I appreciate and love every aspect of God's character (and perhaps because I am a man!) I really love to read of the awesome power and glorious might of my God.  Just like we love to see strongman competitions or watch someone perform a great physical feat, I relish passages that focus on the majestic strength of Jesus Christ.  Take Revelation 19:11-16 for instance:  "Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. ¹² His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. ¹³ He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. ¹⁴ And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. ¹⁵ Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. ¹⁶ And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS."  This is a God who can literally tear the universe in half with his word alone!

Those who would call Christ pallid and incompetent will bow the knee in reverence before Him!  This passage simply oozes of the power and majesty of the Son of God:  Jesus Christ, Immanuel, God with us.  It speaks of His truth and faithfulness, His royalty, His unsearchable mind and ways, His power to conquer, to kill and make alive, the Ultimate Ruler, a God of fierceness beyond compare, the KING of ALL!  Doesn't the ALL CAPS scream out His rightful place in the universe and in our lives?

Yet for all His strength and praiseworthiness, our feeble minds can forget Him.  We can be so caught up in the daily routine or the holidays that we take our eyes off of Jesus.  Since our family will be leaving in about two weeks for Australia, my son Abel received notes from his classmates who are sorry to see him go.  One note in particular was very touching.  The last part read, "I hope you never forget me."  How wretched it is to be forgotten!  We may forget God, but He will never forget us!  He is faithful and true!  Jesus told His followers to remember Him in the celebration of Communion.  The thief on the cross pleaded with his dying LORD, "Remember me when you come into your kingdom."  Jesus would not forget and said, "Assuredly I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

Our God will never leave us or forsake us, and He will certainly never forget us.  We have a responsibility to remember God now and always.  We find it amazing that no one could find a place for Mary and Joseph when they looked through Bethlehem.  We think it impossible and inhumane that people would leave them and the soon to be born baby Jesus in the cold.  With heavy hearts we must confess we are no better:  we do it all the time.  There was no room for Jesus then, and many of us have no room for Jesus now.  As the lovely carol "Joy to the World" exhorts, "Let every heart prepare Him room."  We can sing right along with heaven and nature if we will but remember Him.  "Joy to the world, the LORD is come!"  From a feeding trough to the heights of heaven, our LORD reigns!  Let us adore Him today and always!