Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget.
Proverbs 4:5
I remember my name. I remember my address. I remember my kids’ birthdays. I remember my anniversary. I remember my phone number. I remember where I live. I remember to pay my bills. I remember to turn off the lights when I leave a room. I remember Elvis. I remember how to spell Mississippi. I even remember the Alamo.
Like everybody else, I can space things out, but those things are usually transient or trivial. Rarely do I forget the truly important stuff.
Except when I do. I can forget the most important things of all, and more often than I’d like to admit. Recently, the scriptures reminded me of something that I already knew very well—but had forgotten. (It’s funny how that works.) That triggered an avalanche of other spiritual realities that I tend to forget. Here are my top ten:
1 The battle is not against flesh and blood.
I keep thinking that if I could just call down fire on those idiots then everything would be fine, but firing on the wrong target accomplishes nothing except making me look like the idiot they think I am.
2 God does not judge by appearances.
I do it all the time. But as God told Samuel, “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”There’s no Botox for the heart.
3 Everything comes down to God’s mercy.
Paul reminds the Romans: It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. Why do I always assume that the secret to bearing fruit is my spiritual zeal and work ethic? God is the I AM not IBM.
4 Truth is not consensus.
According to the proverb, there is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. As a general rule, the majority is probably wrong. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. There is truth and there is everything else.
5 Nothing is impossible for God.
For the one who believes, there is no such thing as a lost cause. Even a lost cause isn’t a lost cause. In fact, it’s never too late to pray, even if it’s too late. If he has to, God can change the past. Note to self: God is GOD.
6 God forgives.
Yes, I am a repetitious transgressor. Yes, I know better. Yes, I often choose unrighteousness for entertainment purposes. It is an inexcusable disdain for the sacrifice of Jesus and deserves death. But even more outrageous is this promise: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. All the time; every time.
7 All things work for good.
In the words of the Bob Marley song, Don’t worry about a thing. Every little thing is gonna be all right. Marley may have been stoned out of his mind most of the time, but he got that one right. God concurs. “I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” The shiitake may hit the fan, but there’s a creamy risotto on its way.
8 God hears prayer.
David wrote the most earth-shattering lyric of all time: The Lord hears when I call to him. The fact that the holy God, the righteous creator of all things, who lives in unapproachable light, actually listens to us is mind-boggling. The Lord says so himself: “Call to me, and I will answer you.” He may not always go with my suggestions, but whether I’m worshipping or whining, he never ignores me.
9 The wicked will not triumph.
Sometimes it’s hard to watch the beautiful people and glitzy mobsters run roughshod over the righteous and the good. They mock the saints, pervert justice, and take all the best stuff for themselves—and with seeming impunity. When I tried to understand all this, confessed David, it troubled me deeply. But we are told plainly: Fret not yourself because of evildoers, and be not envious of the wicked, for the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be put out. The lowly saints definitely have got the better deal.
10 Christians have the cheat code.
The rules of the game can seem stacked against the saints. The Revelation informs us that there will be a time when the team in the white hats (and robes) is actually going to lose. The Beast will be allowed to wage war on the saints and to conquer them. But here’s the thing: believers don’t play like the world plays. We cheat. The game designer is our Lord and has given us an unfair advantage. It’s simple. If God is for us, who can be against us? Nobody. The answer is nobody.
Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds;
tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.
Deuteronomy 11:18