I don’t know about you but I need reminders! So I make to-do lists because I don’t want to forget to do the things on the list! Last week was busy and my list reflected that: make lasagna for Sunday, meatballs for Monday, return Diane’s call, transfer funds, get ink, do spreadsheet, get birthday cards, make reservations, review study, prepare lesson, and so on and so on. I’m sure you have lists like this too. We don't want to forget things, right?! But, alas, of course, sometimes, inevitably, I do!
But you know, besides the “to-do” reminders, there are other types of reminders that I need. Most of you will understand what I’m talking about. I need reminders of God’s promises. I need to be reminded of His love. I need to be reminded of His faithfulness. I need to be reminded that He is with me. I need to be reminded of His good plans. Now, truth be told, I don’t really “need” these reminders when things are going well. Nope, then I’m good. I need these reminders when things are not going well. Like when you lose a loved one. When you receive a diagnosis that contains the dreaded “c” word. When you are caring for a loved one whose mental health is rapidly declining. When relationships are broken. When I don’t feel like God is working in my life. When I don’t feel His presence. When things feel like they are going from bad to worse. When things feel like they are spiraling out of control.
Since feelings are not the best thing to rely on at those times, reminders from God’s Word are crucial. Reminders of who God is….of what He’s done….of His promises and the hope He gives.
You know, I had an “ah-ha” moment the other week. It came as an explanation of a passage from Scripture that was spoken at the darkest moment in Christian history.
About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). Matthew 27:46
Jesus was hanging on the cross, dying a slow and painful death. Friends had deserted Him, even betrayed Him. Even worse, the Son of God himself experienced the anguish of feeling separated from God the Father. Imagine how His followers must’ve felt. They must’ve wondered, “How can this be happening? How can Jesus’ ministry end this way? What’s next for us?” Did they wonder how the promises of God could ever be fulfilled? Did they doubt God’s love in that awful moment? Did they question His faithfulness? Did they feel as if He had deserted them?
But when Jesus spoke those words, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me,” He was actually giving them a reminder. What in the world was He reminding them of, you ask? Jesus was lovingly reminding them (and us) of God’s Word. Words that had been written some 600 years before, by David, in the 22nd Psalm. David’s Psalm opens with the exact same words that Jesus cried out while hanging on the cross. The Psalm speaks of great suffering and of rejection by friends and God. It speaks of terrible despair. In fact, the Psalm had been set to music and would have been sung by the Jews. So when Jesus spoke those words, anyone hearing Him would’ve been reminded of this Psalm. (Just like we are reminded of the song Amazing Grace when we hear the words “I once was lost but now I’m found."
The listeners were also reminded that God was well aware of the circumstances surrounding Jesus’ death because they had been prophetically described in this Psalm.
All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads. (v. 7)
My mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. (v. 15)
They pierce my hands and my feet. (v. 16b)
They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment. (v. 18)
But even more importantly, the followers standing at the foot of the cross watching their blessed Messiah die were reminded of the promises of God and of the hope they could be assured of!
For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help. (vv. 24)
Our children will also serve him. Future generations will hear about the wonders of the Lord. His righteous acts will be told to those not yet born. They will hear about everything he has done. (vv. 30-31 NLT)
The followers of Jesus who had been with Him during His earthly ministry needed to be reminded that what they were seeing at that moment was not the end. They could be assured that the promises of God were being fulfilled, not in spite of, but because of, what was going on at that moment! The reminder was intended to restore their hope. The words that Jesus spoke were a reminder of God’s Words spoken through David so long ago. Words that moved from a place of great suffering and deep sorrow to great joy. Speaking of joy, here’s a promise from another Psalm of David that is a great source of encouragement when we feel forsaken.
For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. (Psalm 30:5)
So when we are inclined to cry out, asking God why He has forsaken us, may we be reminded that Jesus cried out those same words to His Father as He hung on the cross for us. With His last breath, He wanted to remind us that we will never be forsaken. Though things may appear at their worst, God is with us and has not hidden His face from us. He hears our cry for help. There will be joy in the morning. What a reminder!
