LET US ALWAYS REMEMBER

LET US ALWAYS REMEMBER

A devotional recalling the fateful days where we experienced loss or failure. Let us always remember these days and seek God’s strength and comfort.

The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.”  —Luke 22:61—-

THOUGHT: Can you just imagine the moment that Jesus looked into Peter’s eyes after Peter had denied Him?

Have you ever experienced such an uncomfortable situation? I remember a few times as a child, getting caught with my “hands in the cookie jar”, so to speak. The infamous “Mom” look. You know the one I am talking about, don’t you? The silent, deep look – straight into your eyes. You realize you’ve been “caught” and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it except pray for forgiveness and grace. You “remember” the offense and know that you only have two choices – to continue to remember so that you can improve upon it or…. keep messing up. Hopefully, the first choice was the road you took, at least more often.

Maybe Peter felt that when Jesus looked “straight at Peter”. Then, the scripture says, “Peter remembered….”. He was thrust back in time a day or so, remembering Jesus’ warning that Peter would deny Him. Of course, initially Peter would feign innocence and total allegiance to Jesus. Yet, now, in the moment, he was faced with the reality of his sin and his abandonment of the man he had called Savior for three years. I suspect that as long as Peter lived, he never allowed himself to forget what happened that fateful day. Maybe that is where he gathered much of his strength for the days to come – from the memory of his human frailty and the confrontation that would live on as an example of our human fears and shortcomings. Maybe when he was tired or scared, he would utilize that memory to bolster his spirit. Maybe that memory served as a catalyst for the many wonderful deeds that he would accomplish through Jesus

Our memories of incidents in our past, often do the same thing. The 20th anniversary of September 11 or 911 or Patriots Day or whatever you want to call it, is almost upon us. As you “remember” that horrific day, what are your thoughts? Likely, the pictures and videos and the subsequent shock of what was occurring right before our eyes. The towers collapsing, the Pentagon bombing, and the heroics of the passengers on that ill-fated plane in a Pennsylvania field will forever be etched on our hearts and singed into our brains. That is a given.

Yet, what do we do with that memory? With Peter, I truly believe that his memory helped him to become the great evangelist and Christian that we know. What about us? Can we really push that memory back into our subconscious and never allow it to influence our future decisions? I have tried to firmly set that memory into my conscience and use it as a platform to base behavioral decisions for my life. To use it as a way to proclaim my love for America. To use it to make a choice to help someone and not to hurt them. To utilize it as the basis for teaching American History to my students and try to instill in them the magnificence of the freedoms we enjoy, due to the courage and bravery of men and women in our country’s past. To use it as a way to comprehend how to get along with others with conversations instead of hatred.

Jesus knew that Peter would ignore His warning. Yet, Jesus also knew that the memory of their confrontation that early morn, would lay the foundation of all Peter would become because of it. Our memories of that terrible day can be demonstrated through tears and sadness, but also for a larger “good”. We can hold fast to that memory to help us make positive and loving choices as to how we treat others. We can use the choices that those sinful men made and create something better. Recall the scripture from Genesis 50:20 – You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. Joseph had been treated with malice and hatred. Yet, even after abandonment and slavery, he realized that God was in control and was using the situation for the common good.

So, when we remember September 11, let’s use our memories to help us make loving and careful decisions as to how we treat others. Let’s try and imitate Peter and Joseph, taking a horrible memory and drastically alter it into a bold and loving future.

PRAYER:

Jesus Christ, lover of our souls, we come to You asking for forgiveness. We are human and continually demonstrate our sinful nature. Yet, help us to remember our sins and ask for forgiveness. Please give us strength to change negative situations into positive situations. Help us to be brave and bold like Peter. Help us to be forgiving and loving like Joseph. Help us to love and not hate. Help us to be good examples of Your Love and Your Peace. AMEN.