Remember His Miracles

"Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced" Psalm 105:5

Remember. Remember. Remember. Don't forget. How easy it is to forget. When God does a miracle, He wills that we remember it. The Jewish festivals are reminders of God's miracles and provision. Passover is to remind Israel how God miraculously passed over the Israelites when He sent extraordinary judgments on the nation that enslaved them and supernaturally delivered them from the hand of the enemy through Moses. Likewise, Purim celebrates God's intervention through Esther in keeping Israel from extermination at the hands of Haman under Artaxerxes, king of Persia .

When God does a miracle in our personal lives, we too should memorialize it. We should talk about, celebrate it, give thanks regularly for it. And so honor God all the days of our lives. It is an evil to forget all of God's kindnesses and to turn away our hearts from him:

"When our fathers were in Egypt, they gave no thought to your miracles; they did not remember your many kindnesses, and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea." (Psalm 106:7)

The greatest miracle of all that God has performed is a miracle that is meant for every person. It is the miracle of Chirst. The eternal Son of the Godhead miraculously took on humanity, being conceived in the womb of a virgin by the power of the Holy Spirit. And after suffering for our sins, he was miraculously raised from the dead. And we are to always remember the miracle God has performed for our eternal salvation. The miracle of eternal life. Everday we must remember that Christ Jesus has miraculously purchased eternal life for all who belong to Him. We must remember the great love He has for us in laying down his life so that God's terrible judgment on sin will pass-over us. We must remember that He conquered our worst enemy, death, when He rose from the grave.

We must not be like the Israelites who rebelled and gave no thoughts of God's miracles. Let none ignore the miracles of Christ. Let us not ignore and give no thought of them, forgetting God's many kindnesses to us in Christ. But let us celebrate that greatest gift any soul could receive.

O Lord, thank you for your miracle in sparing Brent's life. Thank you that when there was no hope for us left, you showed us your power and snatched Brent from the very jaws of the grave. And thank you most of all for our salvation. Thank you for sending the Savior to us so that we can joyfully wait for our eternal inheritance.

Affliction and Eternity

2 Corinthians 4:17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Any pain and suffering that benefits us for eternity has to be worth it. Eternity lasts forever. This life is temporary. Likewise, any suffering we avoid in this life that works against our eternal welfare is not any real benefit to us. Jesus said, "What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 16:26).

It appears to me that the Bible teaches that suffering in this life, whether believer or unbeliever, is redemptive. It is meant for our eternal good. For those who do not yet believe, it is meant to draw them to Christ where they will find eternal salvation through faith. For us who believe, it is meant to bring spiritual maturity, increasing holiness and perfecting trust, hope and faith. This world and its desires is passing away, but the kingdom of Christ lasts forever.

I tremble when I read Jesus' warning about the final judgement of the unsaved. It really scares me. A punishment that lasts forever and never ends. How frightening and horrible! It moves me to re-evaluate the sincerity of my Christ in faith. Do I really believe or am I just pretending to believe? Is my conversion real or counterfeit? Will I really escape the torments of hell? I find myself running once again to Christ and reaffirming my love, faith and hope in Him as my Savior. In the midst of my sufferings it reminds me with tears that some will have everlasting trouble in the life to come, more than can be imagined. It reminds me that this life's painful suffering will end for the saved. Because of Christ and what he has done for me, I will inherit eternal glory for His sake. I will enter an eternity forever free of pain, tears and sorrow and filled with everlasting joy. Just as we share in the sufferings of Christ, so we will share in His glory.

If through the pain, suffering and tragedy of life, a non-believer is finally convinced that this life is not worth rejecting Christ over, then what a marvelous good comes out of the bad. One soul becomes destined for paradise rather than punishment. It is said that there is joyful celebration in heaven amongst the angels over just one soul who repents.

O Lord, what can compare with the gift of escaping the final, eternal suffering! I pray that many, many who do not yet believe, will turn and find this gift. I pray that eyes would be truly opened to realize that no sinful pleasure or pride is worth hanging on to at the cost rejecting Christ and losing their soul. Lord, only you can truly take away the blindness and deceit that Satan has bound souls with. Out of your great loving kindness, do so now! In Christ Jesus, Amen.