Good morning,
There is a story of a certain Persian king, who was elevated from a poverty-stricken home to the glory of a royal throne. After he became king he sent his servants to the old shack where he was reared, with orders to gather every relic of those days. They brought fragments of his home including many broken toys, his patched shirt, a crude wooden bowl from which he ate, and numerous worthless mementos of his childhood. All of these items he arranged in a special room of his palace, and each day he spent one whole hour sitting among the memories of his humble past. On the wall hung a prayer, “Lest I Forget.” In Psalm 103, one of my favorite Psalms, we are invited and provoked to remember the Lord of all mercies and the Lord of grace. David calls upon us not to forget. I counted at least 10 blessings: (1) forgiveness of sin (vs.3) (2) healing of diseases (vs.3) (3) redemption (vs.4) (4) love (vs.4) (5) compassion (vs.4,8) (6) inner satisfaction (vs.5) (7) righteousness (vs.6) (8) justice (vs.6) (9) revelation (vs.7) (10)longsuffering (vs.8,10) Memories of God’s goodness and blessings do not come easily, but the Spirit of God is at work in us to remind us. Dr. David Soper, in his book, "God is Inescapable", suggests that basically the difference between a prison and a monastery is the difference in attitude. That is, it is the contrast between griping and gratitude. Prisoners spend every waking moment griping, whereas monks spend every waking moment giving thanks. They are both imprisoned, in a sense, but what a difference! Dr. Soper goes on to say that when a prisoner becomes a saint, a prison becomes a monastery; when a saint gives up gratitude, a monastery may become a prison. Yes, memory is a great gift from God. Use it in the most positive way that you can. May the past mercies of God serve as a help for the present and a hope for the future. Today is one of the ten best days. I was born on this day, at home in a little village in India. The Lord has bestowed immense blessings upon me over all these years. As I recount all of the Lord's blessings, I can reiterate the blessings of Psalm 103, "Bless the Lord, o my soul, and all that is within me bless His holy name. Bless the, o my soul, and forget not all His benefits." In a topsy-turvy world of turmoil and turbulence, when the foundations are suddenly shaken persons without Jesus are left reeling in their insecurity. Yet, we have a Savior who reigns and rules, who invites us with His amazing promise to "Be still, and know that I am God".
Thank you for your cards and e-mail greetings. I am blessed to have you all as a part of the circle of my family and friends. Rick Warren, in his book, "The Purpose-Driven Life", reminds us that this life is measured not in duration, but in donation. May we be challenged to invest our lives in His Kingdom. May we continue to serve Him with joyful spirits and obedient hearts. May we make every day count for Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, in such a way that those who come after us may find us faithful. One of the deep desires of my heart is to be not a casual Christian, but a committed Christian.
In Christ Alone,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MJ4VqfCRZIGratitude is the memory of the heart. [Fr., La reconnaissance est la memoire du coeur.] Author: Jean Baptiste Massieu Source: to the Abbe Sicard ...
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