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A few days ago John Wills and I were visiting Glennis Parker and he told us about a visit to the doctor. “The doctor gave me some new pills,” he said, “and I asked him what they were for.“ The doctor replied, “They will help you remember.” Glennis told the doctor, “I don’t know whether I will take them or not, there are some things I don’t want to remember!“ Glennis and the doctor had a good laugh, and so did John and I.
Are you like that? Are there things in your past you do not want to remember? There were things in the life of the apostle Paul that he did not want to remember. He said, “Forgetting the things that are behind…I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13,14). Paul wanted to forget the past, but he remembered what he had done calling himself the “chief of sinners” (1 Timothy 1:13-15). But when Paul remembered his past it was with joy for he remembered the mercy and forgiveness he obtained through Jesus our Lord.
For the non-Christian, memories of the past brings only painful memories. Job spoke of bitterness when remembering the iniquities of his youth (13:26) and David pleaded with God not to remember the sins of his youth (Psalm 25:7). But for the Christian there is joy in the remembrance of forgiveness and the future is bright (Romans 5:1-11)!
Alton Norman
Owingsville, KY
BulletinDigest.com