Thursday, May 14, 2015

Psalm 111:4 – “Memory”


As always, here’s my fairly literal translation of this verse:

4Memory He has made to His ones being amazed;
   gracious and compassionate [is] the LORD.

As I was studying this verse, I came across a most interesting quote from Albert Barnes regarding our remembering the Lord’s works:

“‘They’ are so made, that man may remember them; the memory of man, also, is so made, that it may retain them. The highest and most appropriate exercise of memory is to retain the lessons which the works of God inculcate; to treasure up for gratitude and for use what He teaches His intelligent creation through those works. Memory can never be better employed than in treasuring up the truths which the Creator teaches in His providential dealings with us, and in His word. How much better would it be for man if he labored more to “remember” these things; if he sought to forget many of those things which he is so careful now to retain in his recollection.”

I’ve never thought before of our memory as a gift. The Lord created us with this storehouse within us, this place where everything we see and hear and think is recorded. Then He gave us the capacity to “remember,” to go back to that memory bank and draw out those memories to replay them in our minds. As Barnes says, “Memory can never be better employed than in treasuring up the truths which the Creator teaches …” and I love his “How much better would it be for man if he labored more to ‘remember’ these things; if he sought to forget many of those things which he is so careful now to retain in his recollection.”

Interesting. To some extent we can’t control what goes into our memories, as far as the events which befall us every day. Then again, we do exercise a measure of control. I can’t help it if as I’m walking down the street I suddenly see something I wish I hadn’t. But I can choose not to be in places where I’ll see things I shouldn’t. I can choose to spend my time with people who say things that are edifying and helpful; or I can allow myself to be in the company of someone I know will say things I wish I didn’t hear. In either case, my memory will store up everything. Perhaps if we more appreciated this gift of “memory” we’d be more careful where we are, who we’re with, what we watch, and so forth. It is such a pleasant thing to have been with someone and have such “good memories.” On the other hand, it is grief to have seen and heard things I wish I hadn’t, but now they’re there, permanently imprinted on my being.

But not only is there this bank of memories but there is also the ability “to remember.” We have the ability to deliberately “recall” specific memories, like when I’m “trying to remember” what someone said, or deliberately working on memorizing Scripture and then going over those verses to “keep them in my mind.” That is one kind of “remembering.” Then, certainly for me, there is the sort of background video-tape playing constantly in my mind. I don’t know if everyone else is like me but no matter what I’m doing, my mind is constantly replaying memories. As they come up, I can choose to willingly ponder over them or push them aside and think of something else. One example would be a person who is bitter. Their mind constantly brings up the faults or failures of others from the past and they allow those thoughts to play on and on and poison their hearts. For me, one of the most common themes of this replay is all my regrets – all the stupid things I’ve done and said, all my failures to be who and what I should have been. Those memories are like merciless torturers to me, never relenting, incessantly lashing me with their condemning whips. It is interesting to me to note the only relief I find is by “remembering” that God doesn’t see me that way. He is aware of all my failures, yet, as it says in Zeph 3:17, “He rejoices over me with singing …” Early in my Christian life I memorized from Romans 8:  There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus … What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” When I “remember” these verses, it allows me to push away the bludgeoning regrets.

Again, Barnes’ thought strikes me: “How much better would it be for man if he labored more to ‘remember’ these things; if he sought to forget many of those things which he is so careful now to retain in his recollection.”

I like this a lot. I’m going to try to be more aware of this gift the Lord has given me, the ability to store memories and then the ability to recall them (or choose not to). I would like to be more aware of where I am and what I’m doing and who I’m with – with the thought that everything I see and hear (good or bad) will go into my memory forever. And then I would like to be more aware of what I am recalling and be more deliberately choosing, as I recall, what I allow my mind to rehearse. As of today, I can’t change what has already gone into my memory, but I can choose which of those memories I will allow to replay. Like the old saying, “I can’t stop the birds from flying over my head – but I don’t have to let them build a nest in my hair!”

Interesting – “A memory He had made …”

I close by quoting Barnes again:

“‘They’ are so made, that man may remember them; the memory of man, also, is so made, that it may retain them. The highest and most appropriate exercise of memory is to retain the lessons which the works of God inculcate; to treasure up for gratitude and for use what He teaches His intelligent creation through those works. Memory can never be better employed than in treasuring up the truths which the Creator teaches in His providential dealings with us, and in His word. How much better would it be for man if he labored more to “remember” these things; if he sought to forget many of those things which he is so careful now to retain in his recollection.”

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