But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark (Genesis 8:1).
It had been raining for 150 days and Noah & company were drifting on a featureless sea. For five dreary months they had been cooped up in the ark with no word from God. It must have seemed like an eternity. Noah must have wondered at times if God had forgotten them.
But God remembered Noah. Did God suddenly wake up with a start exclaiming, “Oh no! I can’t believe it — I forgot about Noah. I hope he’s okay”? No. God hadn’t forgotten about Noah for a nanosecond. But from Noah’s perspective, after five long months, God now remembered him and came to his aid, sending a wind to dry up the waters.
Has God forgotten you?
Do you ever feel like you’re on a tiny raft on a vast ocean and all the rescue crews have given up looking for you? Do you ever feel like you’ve dropped off God’s radar screen?
God has promised never to forget his blood-bought children. He’s engraved us on his hands and written our names on his heart. He never slumbers nor sleeps as he watches over us. He knows our rising up and our lying down, our going out and coming in. He never leaves us or forsakes us. If we fly to the sunrise or sink in the sea, he’ll be there. He can’t forget us because we’ve been joined to Christ. When he looks at Christ he sees us. Oh yes, God remembers us.
God remembered Mom
The last 7 years of her life, Alzheimer’s disease whittled away my mom’s memory and life. In the early stages Mom would say to me, “Mark, I just hope I never forget Jesus and I never forget my family.” I’d reply, “Mom, even if you forget Jesus, Jesus will never forget you. And even if you forget us, we will never forget you.” And Jesus did keep my Mom. She was joyful even as her mind deteriorated. She never became belligerent or depressed as many Alzheimer’s sufferers do. As her mind gradually drained away, all that remained was the sweetness of who she’d become in Jesus Christ. Though Mom lost her ability to read and remember Scripture, though she eventually lost most of her memory of Jesus, Jesus never forgot Mom. He was with her till her final breath. How glorious it must have been the moment she awakened to see the face of her Savior. How glorious it must have been when all Mom’s memories of Jesus and his work in her life came flooding back.
God remembered Noah. God remembered Mom. God remembers you.
All glory and honor goes to our covenant keeping God, who never forgets His promises!! Thanks for the post Mark. My wife’s grandmother is in the final stages of Alzheimer’s as well, and it can be a challenge not to grow discouraged when we go to visit.
Our hope is in the steadfast love of the Lord!
Amen, Ryan, praise to our covenant keeping God! I pray our gracious Father will give you and your wife grace and will surround her grandmother with his loving arms.
Mark
Mark and Stephen,
The Blazing Center is quickly becoming one of my very favorite blogs. I thank God he has given you both such rich insight and depth of heart and mind. I am so pleased that the depth of your music also translates into depth of writing. These are very precious grace gifts! Please continue sharing.
In Christ,
Lisa in NC
Lisa,
Thank you so much for your kind and encouraging words.
Mark
Thanks for that word. My dad has had Alzheimers for 3.5 years and is now in a wheelchair, But by Gods grace he is still the very sweetest man I know, But some days are hard and with mom also having cancer some days are very wearisome, today was a day that felt like God had forgotton us, thank you for your reminder that His word proclaims otherwise – Thank you for you blog, I agree with Lisa, it is fast becoming a very dear favorite. Blessings to you both.
Deb
You’ll never know how timely this encouraging word was today. This week we received another discouraging word on my mom’s health. After so many years of bumps along this same line, I felt terribly alone and forgotten. Your word encourages me to remember that neither I nor my mom have been forgotten by Jesus. Thank you for sharing of yourself and of God’s Word. Your encouraging words mean so much.
Deb,
I’m so sorry to hear about your Dad and Mom. That must be so hard for you.
I pray that the Lord will give your Dad and Mom great grace and mercy and will give you strength and encouragement. It was wearisome at times caring for my Mom – one thing that helped me was to try to remember all the ways she gave herself to me growing up. And without a doubt, I really needed the Lord’s grace because I’m so selfish.
God has not forgotten you and will remember your every act of kindness in serving your parents.
Thanks for your kind encouragement.
Mark
Trish,
I’m so sorry to hear about your Mom. It’s really hard to see our parents suffer. I can relate. I pray the Lord will pour out his kindness on your Mom and on you. He is filled with compassion toward you and your Mom and has not forgotten you.
Thank you for your encouragement.
Mark
I miss your mom. You know I was one of her favorites.
Yeah, Bo, you were one of her favorites. I think you still are.
Thanks so much for you words Mark. My mom has been gone for more than sixteen years. It is so good to be reminded that she is now whole and healthy, praising the Lord. She went to sleep in an operating room and woke up in paradise. How grand that must have been. I get to missing her this time of year; your words will encouage me to rejoice in His care and love, and her joy complete. Thanks.
Sandy Kimmel
My grandmother is one of the most humble, joyful people I’ve ever known, but she hasn’t known me the last 3 or 4 times I saw her. We don’t expect to have her around much longer. I’m so encouraged by your post. I can’t imagine how absolutely amazing it will be when she opens her eyes and sees Jesus and her memory is flooded with how wonderful He is! Her favorite song is “Jesus Paid it All”. For her sake I love even more this verse we don’t sing much:
When from my dying bed
My ransomed soul shall rise
“Jesus died my soul to save”
Shall rend the vaulted skies
Hey Sandy,
Thanks for your comments. Yeah, I miss my Mom too. But it is so good to know our moms are before the throne healed and praising Jesus. We’ll be seeing them pretty soon.
Mark
Dean,
Praise God for your grandmother and that she knows the Lord. And what an awesome verse. Thanks!
Mark
Yes, indeed, God remembered your mom…
I really like the exchange you had with your mom (in your last paragraph). I’ll have to remember that response should I ever need to use it.
Yes, God never forgets us, even when we forget Him…
Thank you for your comments Rachael,
I’m so glad God never forgets us…
Have a great Easter!
beautiful and touching post. my eyes are filled with tears. thank you…God led me here today and i needed to read this.
God bless you,
shelbi
Hi Uncle Mark I was reading Stephens blog and I saw a link to this posting and clicked. Im not sure when you posted this one but this was the perfect time for me to read it. I have thought often in the past few weeks if God had forgotten my grandma and grandpa or more especially my dad. Because why would he put my dad through all of this stuff but reading your message made me remember that they are with him now and that he does everthing for a reason and that even though my dad is hurting that God is taking care of him. THANKS
Love Allie
Hi Allie,
You guys, and especially your dad, have been through an incredibly painful time, but I know Jesus loves your dad and you all. He’s our only comfort, and he doesn’t forget any of us. I pray that you’ll all know his nearness.
Love, your uncle Mark
Thank you so much for this post, I’m not even sure how long ago it was written, but it caught my eye on your sidebar, and was very timely today.
I lost my dad to liver cancer at age 24, last June which I know is not young compared to the age others have lost parents, but over this past year it’s becoming more and more apparent that dad was a huge source of support and guidance. I have felt so lost on so many fronts. Dad took the role of mum and dad in mine and my sister’s lives and losing him makes me feel orphaned.
God has been good and so many people have been so kind in numerous ways but I do still regularly find myself in periods of anxiety and depression about my new life with no biological parents. My mind and my feelings tell me I’m all alone, so this post was a huge encouragement.
Along the same lines as I read my Bible this morning in Deuteronomy, I was encouraged by Deut 4: 20, God encouraged me that as He recapped to the Israelites His past work in their lives…taking them and bringing them out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be His people, an inheritance, to increase their confidence in His future work in their lives and to assure them that He was not going to suddenly turn His back on them. So also I felt the Lord reminding me that God who has redeemed me in His love and grace, can’t have gone to all the effort He did to save me, and now want to turn His back on me. It just wouldn’t make sense.
God continue to bless this ministry which has been more helpful than the times I’ve written to say thank you.
Liz,
I can’t imagine how painful your losses have been. But I know that Jesus has not and will not ever leave you. I’m grateful to the Lord that he would encourage you from the post.
Isaiah 43:2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
Jesus will always be with you.
Mark
If sueicide was a direct ticket to hell I would doit it just to catch up with my mom.
I meant wasn’t a direct ticket to hell
Hey Michael,
Sounds like you really miss your mom. I’m sorry for you. I miss my mom too.
God brought me here at the perfect moment. I cherish my role as a mother, and God has been more than gracious to me. Thank you for the encouragement. God bless you as you remember the example of your mother in Christ.