“I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your wonders of old.” Psalm 77:11
June 18, 2025
Memory is an important part of what it means to be made in the image of God. Memory is that God-given capacity to call to mind things from the past. The psalmist in his experience of lament remembered the past and how wonderful it was compared to the grim present. But he chooses to remember God and His works which makes all the difference. The choice of the word “remember” is a strong expression of determination. Grieving over the past is not necessarily sinful, but there is a time to turn from grief to rejoicing (Neh. 8:11,12). Past sins can cause remorse, but this should lead us to renewed obedience to the Word of God. In other words, let the joy of the Lord be our strength. In another place the psalmist reveals the importance of using our thoughts in the right way during inactive times, like lying awake in the middle of the night (Psa. 63:6). Don’t let bad memories live in our minds rent free. The wise learn to make their memories the occasion to rehearse God’s love, grace, and justice. We can get into the bad habit of allowing bad memories to torture us instead of loving God with all our mind.
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“Heaven’s happiness won’t be dependent on our ignorance of what happened on Earth. Rather, it will be enhanced by our informed appreciation of God’s glorious grace and justice as we grasp what really happened here.” Randy Alcorn