Remember Jesus

Do this in remembrance of Me. — 1 Corinthians 11:24

From the pen of Charles Spurgeon:

Indeed, it seems Christians may forget Christ!

There would be no need for this loving exhortation if there were not the fearsome presumption that our memories might prove disloyal. And this presumption does not lack substance, for alas, it is all too well confirmed by our experience — not as a mere possibility, but as a lamentable fact.

Yet it seems nearly impossible that those who have been redeemed by “the blood of the [dying] Lamb” (Revelation 12:11), and loved “with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3) by the eternal Son of God, could ever forget their gracious Savior. But as startling as that is to hear, it is, alas, too apparent to the eye to allow us to deny the crime.

Forget Him who never forgot us! Forget Him who poured out His blood for our sins! Forget Him who loved us even to the death! Can it be possible?

Yes, it is not only possible but our conscience must confess it is sadly a fault in each of us. We simply allow Him to be a traveler tarrying only for the night. He who should be made the abiding tenant in our memories is only a visitor there. The cross, where we would think our memory would linger and forgetfulness would be an unknown intruder, is desecrated by the feet of forgetfulness.

Doesn’t your conscience confirm this is true? Don’t you find yourself forgetful of Jesus? Some earthly person has captured your heart instead, and you remain unmindful of Him upon whom your affections should be placed. Your eyes are focused on some earthly business when you should fix your eyes steadily upon the cross. It is the constant turmoil of the world and the continual attraction of earthly things that turns a soul away from Christ. While your memory all too well recalls a poisonous weed, it allows the “Rose of Sharon” (Song of Solomon 2:1) to wither.

Let us challenge ourselves to tie a heavenly “forget-me-not” around our hearts for Jesus our Beloved — and, whatever else may slip from our memory, let us hold fast to Him.

From the pen of Jim Reimann:

Hold fast to Christ! What a powerful exhortation against forgetfulness as “the cares of this world” (Mark 4:19 KJV) creep into our lives, turning our focus from the Savior. Indeed, we can take hold of Him through the power of His Holy Spirit. Yet thankfully Jesus has first taken hold of us.

I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. — Philippians 3:12-14

Yes, even the apostle Paul did not consider himself to have fully “taken hold,” but he continued to “press on toward the goal.”

Father,

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. — Hebrews 10:23

Let us hold fast to “Christ Jesus our hope” (1 Timothy 1:1).

Excerpted with permission from Morning by Morning: The Devotions of Charles Spurgeon by Jim Reimann, copyright Zondervan.

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Your Turn

“Let us challenge ourselves to tie a heavenly “forget-me-not” around our hearts for Jesus our Beloved — and, whatever else may slip from our memory, let us hold fast to Him.”

What a great exhortation for today! Are you focused on all the busyness, good things, joys, worries, and troubles of life, distracted from Christ? Join us in remembering the One who is our hope! Come join the conversation on our blog. We want to hear from you about fixing our eyes on Jesus. ~ Devotionals Daily