“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” (John 14:26, NASB)
Call it a blessing or a curse, but I remember golf courses I played in competition years ago. I recall scores shot, clubs hit, and what I was thinking at the time. I don’t try to do this; it is just there.
Jack Nicklaus had the same problem (it’s not like we had a lot of the same problems). A sportswriter asked Nicklaus, “You mean to tell me that you can remember that you hit an 8-iron on the seventeenth hole during the last round at Pensacola in 1963?” Jack responded, “It was a 7-iron, and it flew into the back bunker.”
Away from golf, remembrance is good, especially the remembrance of our faith journeys. The Jewish people still gather today to remember the Passover, the day they were liberated from Egyptian slavery. After they crossed to Jordan River into the Promised Land, they gathered 12 stones of remembrance to build a memorial to remind future generations of the faithfulness of God. Jesus used the word remembrance at the last supper with his disciples when referring to the bread as His body and the wine as his blood. He said, “Do this in remembrance of Me” (1 Corinthians 11:24-25).
What about you? Do you remember events in your spiritual journey that affirm and explain your faith journey? I have a friend who remembers the exact moment that Jesus came into his life. His skeptic friend asks, “How do you know that was the moment that Jesus actually came into your life?” My friend responds, “Because I was there!”
A simple choice made. A word spoken in honesty. A rebuke. A kindness offered. An offense forgotten and overlooked. They are all mile markers in your journey.
I challenge you to think about and remember points along the way that guided you to your present faith in Jesus. They are points of reference that illuminated the way. A simple choice made. A word spoken in honesty. A rebuke. A kindness offered. An offense forgotten and overlooked. They are all mile markers in your journey. I remember a few:
– A boss who followed Christ before I understood Jesus gave me a lot of grace and not a lecture. I needed both. I did not think it was impactful at the time.
– I once told a minister how much I enjoyed his conference and all the speaker’s messages. He paused and said, “Well, what are you going to do about it?” Got my attention.
– At the conclusion of another conference, a pastor told me, “You must own your faith. It cannot be given to you. There must be that time when you admit you are a sinner and accept Christ’s offer of salvation by grace through personal faith.” I walked out into the parking lot and invited Christ into my life. Looking back, I now understand.
– I remember the time I laid out a logical, well thought out plan with my mentor about the perils of going into full-time ministry. I was concerned and needed counsel. I hedged my bet with financial worries and my inadequate qualifications. Hello! I wanted to take this leap of faith but was frankly scared and felt so unqualified. He paused and glared at me across his big mahogany desk and simply said, “Son, it is one thing to yell, Olé! Olé! It is quite another thing to get in the ring with the bull. Whom are you going to trust?” I received his message. He pushed me into taking a leap of faith. Today, I am forever grateful.
Have you been blessed to be a remembrance to others? Have others been a beacon of light for you? God knows. Remembering what Jesus has done for us is the start. What is our response?
—
Randy Wolff
August 4, 2020
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The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.