“According to Your lovingkindness remember me”
“Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; According to Your lovingkindness remember me, For Your goodness' sake, O LORD.” (Psalms 25:7)
Life is 'making memories'. There are memories that are planted in each of our hearts in our lives with our parents when we were born, and memories that are made in our lives with our siblings and friends as we grow up, etc.. We are making memories of this and that in meetings with people. We can divide these memories into two types: good memories and bad memories. Of course, in addition to these two kinds of memories, there are painful and sad memories as well. But these memories could be good memories or bad memories. Do you have many good memories or bad memories in your mind? Often we need to take time to look back at our lives and reflect on the memories in our minds. In the midst of that, we must devote ourselves to making more and more good memories. And we should try to overcome and cover bad memories with good memories. In that way, we will be able to become true rich people in our hearts.
In Psalm 25:7, the psalmist David prayed to God not to remember his sins of youth or his transgressions but to remember him according to His lovingkndness. He cried out to God, relying on His lovingkindness. What would happen if he prayed to God to remember him according to God's holiness? Can you imagine? What would happen to David if God remembered David according to His holiness? I can't imagine. What would happened to David if God knew and remembered all of David's sins and transgressions that were revealed in God's holiness? I can't imagine. If God remembers us according to His holiness, the we would not have been able to escape God's wrath and punishment. But the surprising fact is that God poured all our sins and transgressions on Jesus, His begotten Son, and Jesus was crucified to death. Therefore, now God not only forgives us but also not remembers our sins and transgressions when we repent our sins and transgressions. David relied on this lovingkindness of the Lord and asked God: “According to Your lovingkindness remember me” (v.7). And he asked God to remember him for His goodness’ sake (v. 7).
We must also offer this prayer to God. Like David, we must pray to God by relying on the Lord’s lovingkindness. Like David, we must pray to God, “According to Your lovingkindness remember me, For Your goodness’ sake, O Lord” (v. 7). And when we pray like this, we must pray by relying on the love of God, who loves us like this even giving His begotten Son Jesus on the cross for our salvation (Jn. 3:16). We must hold onto God's Word by faith that Heavenly Father's thoughts of love for us is outnumbered the sand and pray to Him (Ps. 139:17-18). And we must pray to God who is filled with those thoughts of love and who will not only forgive us when we confess our sins and repent, but also will not remember our sins, but rather have good memories towards us for His goodness. Then we must strive to remember our dear brothers and sisters in Christ according to the Lord's love. And we should try to cover the bad memories towards them with good memories. We must overcome evil memories with good memories. Therefore, we must fill our minds and hearts with memories of love in the Lord. I hope and pray that we can dedicate ourselves in making these good memories in our hearts.
Devoted to making good memories of love,
James Kim
(I want to be someone who reminds Jesus to others)