My Thoughts. . .

Thursday, 12-09-2021

When we pass from this life into the next realm, will we be remembered?  As long as there are friends, neighbors, and family still living who knew us personally, we will be.  When they die will we be remembered by something that we owned that is passed on to the younger generation?  A “saying” or a particular moment in our life will be told.  However, all too soon, our memory will become past history and only a name in the family tree.

There are names in the Bible of people who lived over a thousand years ago that are remembered by Bible students.  David is remembered because he killed Goliath.  He is also remembered because he became king of Israel.  He is remembered because he had Bathsheba’s husband left exposed to the enemy and died in battle.  We remember this was done so David’s adultery with Uriah’s wife would not be disclosed.  Scripture reveals the good, the bad, and the ugly in their triumphs and tragedies as heroes or scoundrels.  Paul is respected, yet admits he was chief among sinners (1 Timothy 1:15).  There are unnamed men and women who lacked perfection but are remembered for their faithfulness.  The Hebrew writer mentions Abel through Samuel with some whose faithful record is very short like “Rahab the harlot” (v.31).  There are “others” who are not named, but who suffered and died for the truth (vs. 35-38).  Only God knows who they are.  But though forgotten by man and their names left out of scripture by the inspired, they were faithful. As years turn into centuries and those centuries surrender to identifiers that are much longer, today’s faithful will be forgotten by tomorrow’s population.  However, those who are no longer with us have not been forgotten by God.  One day we will be reminded of that when He states, “Well done” or “Depart from me . . .”  Whether we express joy or sorrow depends upon our response to Hi