Selective Memory

“And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the LORD: Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me. This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.” (La 3:18-21 AV)

I don’t know to what exactly the prophet is referring.  The chapter starts with a testimony of God’s chastening hand.  However, there is no record of Jeremiah suffering for disobedience severe enough to warrant what he describes in chapter three.  Some assume the prophet is reflecting the feelings of Israel as they suffer for their wayward choices.  At one time, I thought Jeremiah was referring to his time in prison.  But that was not chastening.  That was persecution.  Jeremiah is just like everyone else.  I am sure he had sin in his life.  So, the former explanation is probably correct.  Regardless of why he felt God was chastening him, or he was reflecting the feelings of his nation, or he was speaking about his time in prison, the conclusion is the same.  There is hope when he humbles himself.  But what I want to ponder is one little word. Still.  Even after the hardships were over, the remembrance of what he endured was not.  The memories still lingered with him.  He recalled the hardships which God required of him.  He did this on purpose.  He did so that he might remain humble and also remember that God brought him out of them.  We may want to put bad memories of the past behind us to never recall them again.  That might be the wisest course of action for a few of them.  However, remembering correction, persecution, or testing keeps us humble and gives us hope for what we are currently going through.

Do you ever have nightmares of things that have happened many years prior?  I do.  Events in my life that caused great stress arrive afresh in my dreams.  I take melatonin to help me sleep and one of the side effects is vivid dreams.  These dreams are very detailed and are more realistic than fanciful.  They tend to involve emotions more so than normal dreams.  I still have dreams about working in a pizzeria or a factory.  These were fast-paced jobs and very stressful.  Other dreams revolve around stressful church situations from my distant past.  I have learned these dreams are not prognostications, but rather, a tool to deal with emotions I may be harboring over similar situations that I am presently living through.  When I have one of these vivid dreams, and I can remember them, I seek help from the Holy Spirit to reveal to me why I may be feeling as I do.  Remembering may not be pleasant, but remembering helps me deal with issues that I may be facing.  Remembering also helps to have hope for the future.  All those stress points were in the past.  In the present, I survived just fine.  The grace of God brought me through all this and His grace will lead me home.  There is nothing I need fear as long as the LORD is near.  Remembering, although it can be painful, can also be very therapeutic.  This is to what Jeremiah is referring.

Humility, at least as stated above, is associated with remembering the hard times Jeremiah went through and the purpose for those hard times.  He remembered on purpose as a way to stay humble. This is a good thing.  If I remember that some misfortune befell me because of a decision I made, then perhaps I won’t make that same mistake again.  If I remember how God provided a way of escape for me, then perhaps as I face another time of trial, I will take courage He will see me through this one as well.  Whatever the circumstances, remembering is not necessarily a bad thing.  I know that Paul says that he forgets those things that are behind, but that is in the context of pressing forward.  There are several passages wherein Paul recollects what he once was or what had happened in the past.  This he did to press forward.  It may not be a wise thing to compartmentalize all our negative experiences so we never think about them again.  There will be a time for that – eternity.  Until then, it would be good to still remember lest we are discouraged or fail once again.