Have you ever said something like, “I need to remember that before I forget?” If your forty years or over, there’s a good chance you have said this or, “I need to write this down, I need to tie a string around my finger, or I would lose my head if it weren’t attached.” I have discovered it only gets worse with the passing of the years. Even if you are not in the more mature and aged category, you have probably forgotten a password or someone’s name and know a little of the frustration us forty and beyond people experience, nearly daily. Recently I took some treatments for depression that temporarily effected my short term memory. I gained a whole new appreciation and understanding of the struggle many people experience who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or Dementia in its many forms and stages. Some of you have a husband or wife, parent or grandparent or someone near who struggles with Alzheimer’s or Dementia. Loss of memory severely limits and complicates life, relationships, and communication. I was recently visiting with a man whose father is struggling with a low level dementia. He shared, “It gets frustrating for my mom when he tells her something and then five minutes later is telling the same story or asking the same question she answered a short while before.” Many people who have a memory issue or live with someone who has memory issues know the frustration, confusion, and chaos loss of memory can cause.
Just as frustrating, confusing, life sapping and damaging as mental memory issues cause, spiritual amnesia or dementia impact our relationship with God and others. Spiritual dementia has been a common condition of God’s people from the beginning till now. Adam and Eve forgot God’s one command and sinned. Abraham forgot God’s promise and had Ishmael. God brought plagues to Egypt and delivered his people from slavery through Moses only to have them grumble and complain for water and food. This same pattern is seen in Joshua, Judges, the Kings, the Prophets and past and current followers of Christ. The words forget (2554) and forgot (332) occur thousands of times, describing God’s people, from Genesis to Revelation. And God’s people are called to remember (8458) many other occasions. As I have been journeying through Psalms this fall, I have been struck with the many times God’s people forgot God’s mighty and wondrous works were called to remember. Psalm 78 record’s Israel’s history from Jacob, recording how the people “forgot His works and the wonders He had shown them.” (v. 11) to Moses, Psalm 78:12–19 (ESV), “In the sight of their fathers he performed wonders in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan. He divided the sea and let them pass through it, and made the waters stand like a heap. In the daytime he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a fiery light. He split rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink abundantly as from the deep. He made streams come out of the rock and caused waters to flow down like rivers. Yet they sinned still more against him, rebelling against the Most High in the desert. They tested God in their heart by demanding the food they craved. They spoke against God, saying “Can God spread a table in the wilderness?” As Old Testament history continued their memory issues and therefore sin issues continued and worsened.
- Psalm 78:22 (ESV) “…they did not believe in God and did not trust his saving power.”
- Psalm 78:32 (ESV) “In spite of all this, they still sinned; despite his wonders, they did not believe.”
- Psalm 78:42 (ESV) “They did not remember his power or the day when he redeemed them from the foe.”
- Psalm 78:56–57 (ESV) “Yet they tested and rebelled against the Most High God and did not keep his testimonies, but turned away and acted treacherously like their fathers; they twisted like a deceitful bow.”
How this angered (31) and grieved (40) the Father who loved them and had acted on their behalf over and over. How devastating were the results for the people who forgot. It is the same for us in 2020. The less we remember how God has worked in the past, the miracles he has performed for His people, for us, the more likely it is that we will fail to trust, turn to lesser gods and idols and experience frustration, confusion, and spiritual defeat.
So, what is the cure? What is the treatment for Spiritual Dementia? Thankfully there are newly developed treatments and mental exercises that have slowed or in some cases reversed the effects of Alzheimer’s and Dementia. The cure for Spiritual Amnesia and Dementia can be described with three words: remembering, thanking and worshipping. Last week I was reading Psalm 111 and was greatly encouraged and reminded how important it is to remember before we forget. Take a moment and read it now, slowly, observing the words of remembrance, thanksgiving and adoration. I have bolded some of them to make them pop out:
Psalm 111:1–10 (NLT):
Praise the Lord! I will thank the Lord with all my heart as I meet with his godly people. 2 How amazing are the deeds of the Lord! All who delight in him should ponder them. 3 Everything he does reveals his glory and majesty. His righteousness never fails. 4 He causes us to remember his wonderful works. How gracious and merciful is our Lord! 5 He gives food to those who fear him; he always remembers his covenant. 6 He has shown his great power to his people by giving them the lands of other nations. 7 All he does is just and good, and all his commandments are trustworthy. 8 They are forever true, to be obeyed faithfully and with integrity. 9 He has paid a full ransom for his people. He has guaranteed his covenant with them forever. What a holy, awe-inspiring name he has! 10 Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom. Praise him forever!
Something powerful happens when we take the time to turn our focus to the Lord, His word, His promises, His wondrous works and Remember. God has recorded a multitude of miracles and mighty works he performed in, for, and through His people in the Old Testament, through Christ and the early church. As you read His word, you will be reminded. As we read and seek Him, He will “cause us to remember His wonderful works” (4). I believe He causes us to remember not only what He has done in biblical history but also in the history of man and the story he is writing through our lives, personally and powerfully. As I read this passage and took time to be still and reflect, the Lord flooded my mind with His work in my life from salvation (July 29, 1979), to call to ministry and first sermon (February 1980), marriage (August 17, 1985), birth of children (1990, 1994, 1996, 2000), restoring a child who was in rebellion for ten years (2005-2010) and amazing ministry movements in four churches over forty years (1980-2020). I recalled times when God showed up in response to prayer, uniting a church on the verge of splitting, bringing thousands to Himself through a hokey drama called, “Heaven’s Gates and Hell’s Flames” (September 1998), preparing and leading people to accept and embrace major change so that additional services and small group hours could be provided, healing churches after major leadership failures and many more. I remembered personally meeting and praying with a couple, and seeing our Mighty God restore a marriage that had every human reason to fail and not be put back together (I recalled at least four couples in the past three years reconciling after trust had been broken who are together and growing in marriage), meeting a mother in the ICU waiting room and crying out to God to heal a young man who was paralyzed and told he would never walk (He walks and works nearly unhindered today), eliminating cancer in a woman who had cancerous tumors that metastasized from her breast to her brain, lungs and spine. God’s people prayed and she is cancer free today. Meeting with the family and hospital staff on behalf of a husband, father, and employees of a CEO whose hear malfunction that was so great, the Christian doctor asked for prayer for divine wisdom and skill try a by-pass of his fully blocked arteries and witnessing God’s miraculous healing. He not only returned to work but today leads a major medical center in Oklahoma City. I remembered how recently, I personally experienced God’s amazing, unexplainable healing and lifting from a deep, dark, debilitating depression I struggled with for ten months after God’s people prayed on Sunday, August 30, 2020 (October 31, 2019 through August 31, 2020). I don’t think I could ever forget the friend I was recently cycling with, plowing into a parked trailer. Throwing my bike in someone’s front yard and going back to find him in a heap, eyes fixed, appearing to not to be breathing and crying out to Jesus to protect, restore, heal him as I held his lifeless, breathless body. It was later revealed that he had broken his C1-C3 vertebrae and was told by his doctor, “In all my years of practicing medicine, I have never had a patient survive the injury you sustained.” The surgeon told his wife, “I don’t understand why he is not paralyzed from the neck down.” I just have to believe Jesus showed up and stabilized his neck as he was transported to the hospital and receive medical intervention. Today he is home recovering with full use of arms, hands, legs and feet. Praise the Lord! As I remembered and reflected on the amazing, magnificent, wondrous works of my Lord and Savior, worship and adoration and praise flowed out of my heart and soul and mouth.
What is the lesson? What can we learn from this Psalm and the many others that call us to reflect and remember before we forget?
- Read Bible Daily. Take time now and plan, establish a daily reading habit. You may want to start a plan through Youversion App, or a printed One Year Bible. If spiritual memory has or is a struggle for you, start a daily reading of Psalms. Instead of trying to cover many chapters in the Old and New Testament, take smaller bites (a verse, chapter or paragraph) so you can chew on them slowly, savoring the sweetness and receiving the satisfying nourishment they bring. Romans 15:4 (ESV) “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”
- Reflect Slowly. Reflect on the great stories of the Bible and praise the Lord. Reflect on the wondrous works of God historically and personally and give glory to His name. Psalm 72:18–19 (ESV) Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things. Blessed be his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen and Amen!
- Write Thoughtfully. You may want to type in your electronic notes or hand write in a journal. I personally like to write long hand. What do I write? I pen key verses, memories, questions, and observations. I write out my prayer response to the Father of thanksgiving, praise, petitions and requests for provision, wisdom, guidance, and strength. Jeremiah 30:2–3 (ESV) “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Write in a book all the words that I have spoken to you. 3 For behold, days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will restore the fortunes of my people, Israel and Judah, says the Lord, and I will bring them back to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall take possession of it.”
- Share Personally. Be aware of who you bump into and take a moment to share something God has done historically or personally, so that they may give praise and glory to the Name of Jesus. Paul loved to share his testimony of how God had redeemed and was transforming his life. Galatians 1:23–24 (ESV) They only were hearing it said, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they glorified God because of me. (see also Acts 9:3-6; 22:6-10; 26:13-18; Philippians 3:1-10)
- Rest Peacefully. As you remember and give thanks for God’s wondrous works, you will experience peace and confidence as you face uncertain and challenging situations or futures. You will gain confidence to run towards God in the face of troubles instead of withdrawing and hiding in the shadows of idols or false gods. Philippians 4:4–9 (ESV) Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
There are only a few hours left in 2020. Before welcoming in 2021, take time to reflect, remember, rehearse all that our great God: Father, Son, Holy Spirit has and is doing. As the old Hymn records, “Count you many blessings, name them one by one and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.” Look back before looking ahead. Give thanksgiving and praise before grumbling and complaining. As we remember and praise, the uncertainties, questions, and fears of the future will look much smaller and manageable. Obstacles to avoid will become opportunities to embrace. Most importantly, we will see God work all things, good and bad, joyful and sorrowful, comforting and painful together for our Good and His Glory.
Romans 8:28–30 (ESV) “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”
Ephesians 3:20–21 (ESV) “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
Gregg Zackary, Dec. 31, 2020
RESTORING HOPE 