Age has a way of stirring up thoughts and memories of the past; this week I’ll celebrate my 83rd birthday (DV) and I find this happening quite often. In our family we’re often reaching back and talking of people and things of the past, of those we loved and who loved us both in family and friends. We think on how they did things and talk about them, “Grandma did it this way” or “Mama sacrificed so much for us” and “you could always depend on my Dad, a man of his word.” I have memories of many relatives and teachers and their kindness to me. Sometimes we laugh at past happenings or people; sometimes we tear up as we talk of them. As a preacher I find myself speaking of another preacher and the enjoyment we had as we sat and talked of the things of the Lord. My dear brother Henry Mahan and I would sit for hours speaking of different ones and times, we’d laugh and rejoice in the works of others. These are delightful memories, and though those in our lives be gone we delight in still praising them, our hearts smile at such fond memories as we tell our children, grandchildren, and even our great grandchildren. So often those we loved growing up knew nothing of the righteousness of a Holy God. The scripture says, “Love covereth a multitude”, and I find even truth. I had parents who loved me the best they could, grandparents who cared for me with a deep love and concern, but no one ever cared for me like my Lord. God placed me in their care and caused them to have feeling and love for me. Our praise should go beyond them to Him and His planning our lives such. Oh that memories of our Lord and His goodness would as easily be talked of. If I could be as David in Psalm 145:7 as he said, “They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness”: grateful memories, I have so many of them. I should speak of them as springs gush forth with water, plenteously, spontaneously, constantly, joyously. I should remember and talk of His amazing love, His abundant favor, His dealings with me, my terror of Him and His righteousness when first He began to deal with my heart, my experiences in life when He brought things about and people into my life for different reasons, answered prayer, and His great goodness. There should not be a place to stop, the light of His gospel, the hope He has created in my heart, His covenant of grace and my strong consolation. I should ever remember His death in becoming my substitute, His salvation of the redeemed, His justice and holiness. My hope would be that my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren will have memories of my living and believing this -- “I would love to tell you about my Lord Jesus Christ, since I found in Him a friend so strong and true; I would tell you how He changed my life completely, He did something that no other one could do. All my life was full of sin when Jesus found me, all my heart was full of misery and woe; Jesus placed His strong and loving arms about me, and He led me in the way I ought to go. Everyday He comes to me with new assurance, more and more I understood His words of love; but I’ll never know just why He came to save me, till someday I see His blessed face above. No one ever cared for me like Jesus, there’s no other friend so kind as He; no one else could take the sin and darkness from me, oh how much He cared for me.” ~~WTW
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