It’s Amazing…
We often remember the worst of someone’s life, rather than the better. The weighted value of a single negative is more remembered than all the good.
We live in a time when revisionist work hard on re-writing history. In the light of the present knowledge and consumption, the past often contains pieces of our past that we are ashamed of, or we do not want it discussed by anyone.
Yes! Our past has much negative. But when that past is generations prior, there is not much I can do about it except to remember it in light of that time period.
For example, scripture is replete with events that are very violent and death was a very common theme.
“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt. Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’ ” (1 Samuel 15:2-3 NKJV)
Utterly destroy everything. And these words come from God. To which we groan when we think about this in light of the God of our present day. Yet, judgement time will come in the future when there will be a replication of this utter destruction.
I can easily remember friends, family and neighbors when something bad happens. It’s amazing that I remember this bad more easily than I do the good, and I am often ashamed that this is the normal response to a persons name when called up in conversation or remembrance.
Perhaps what we need to do is start re-writing our own story. Not blotting out the negative, or explaining it away, but rather flooding the story with better things.
The writer of Hebrews gives me pause to consider that there are those out there who are hoping for a better end to the story of my life than perhaps the memory of the life that is more easily recalled.
But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner. For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. (Hebrews 6:9-12 NKJV)
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
born of his Spirit, washed in his blood.
This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long;
this is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long.