God Remembers Me
By
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
OPENING: - As we come to the close of 2024 and head into 2025 there are questions of what the future will be. People are struggling with the possibility of another pandemic looming, uncertainty of a government shut-down, presidential campaign promises being totally disregarded, the security and national symbol of strength is weakened, inflation is rising rapidly while the average salary has not increased. We are faced with wars and rumors of wars, hate, prejudice, racism is ever being portrayed without mufflers. So often it seems like our prayers have gone unanswered by God, and we even asked the question my God my God why hast thou forsaken me because it seems like God has forgotten us. Our cry and our theme is “Do Lord Do Lord - Lord Remember Me”,
The Children of Israel endured heavy burdens in Egypt, they faced persecution, slavery, and the death of their children, prompting them to cry out to the Lord Exodus 2:23 “and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage”.
They like us today wondered where was God in their time of need? What happened to His promise He had promised them? No doubt they even wondered could God be trusted after waiting so long.
Going into this new year I want to ask these questions as well and bring out the awesomeness of God and emphatically say Yes indeed we can depend on God because Exodus 2:24-25 says, “And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them”.
God Remembered Me!
PRAYER: -
SCRIPTURE: - Genesis 8:1 “And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark:”
Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “remember” as to “bring to mind or think of again,” or to “retain in the memory.” It comes from the Latin rememorari, which combines re- (again) and memorari (be mindful of). It doesn’t necessarily imply one has forgotten the thing one is mindful of, but rather that it is on one’s mind. So, for God to “remember” means for God to have it on God’s mind. The Hebrew word zakar, which means “to remember.” But the definition goes deeper, for it also means to bring someone to mind and then act on that person’s behalf.
Understand when we read of God remembered it does not mean God forgot about or that He forgets about anyone or anything. Hebrews 4:13 says, “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do”.
When God Remembers it is not that He forgets something and then it suddenly returns to His memory. Because He is omnipotent “all powerful” and omniscient “all knowing” if He were to forget anything that would nullify Him as being God because He would not be that anymore. So, what does God Remembered mean.
When “God remembers”, it means that He acts according to His covenant promises, especially in a way evident to His people. When in Genesis 8:1 God remembered brought about the end of the flood.
When the Bible says that God remembered something, it is not implying forgetfulness. God always remembers it is part of His nature. The statement that “God remembered” places an emphasis on His faithfulness and everlasting care.
UNDERSTAND: - God remembered is an anthropomorphism. Anthropomorphism is a figure of speech in which certain traits of finite humanity are ascribed to the infinite God. Anthropomorphism helps us understand God’s work from a human perspective. Understand when God remembers sin, He punishes it and when God remembers His people, He blesses them.
When God Remembers it brings about a 3-fold process. Remember the number 3 means fullness Past Present Future is the fullness of time, Outer Court, Inner Court Holy of Holies is the full Tabernacle, Father Son Holy Ghost is the fullness of the Godhead, Death Burial Resurrection the fullness of the Gospel. So, God remembers is a 3-fold process that brings into effect the fullness of God’s plan, His works, and His rewards in our life.
TEXT: - Understand Noah his family and all the animals had been literally in a storm not just a rainstorm but a storm that was the wrath and judgment of God upon sin and wicked mankind. They had been in darkness no doubt tossed around and drifting, they could hear the thunder and the things happening on the outside but couldn’t see anything and didn’t know what was going to happen next. For forty days and forty nights they didn’t hear from God they were at a dark and lonely place just them and their thoughts not sure if the rain would ever stop, but God remembered Noah his family and the animals.
When God remembered Noah there are 3 things that happened. First, He began to stop the water. Genesis 8:1-4 says, “God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters assuaged; The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained; And the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated. And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat”. When God remembers you and me the first thing, He does is cause the trouble in and around us to stop. The confusion is calmed, persecution ceases, fears pass away.
The Second thing God did when He remembered Noah was, He gave Noah a sign. Genesis 8:6-11 says, “And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made: And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth. Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground; But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark. And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark; And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth”.
Noah wanted to see if the ground had become dry enough for the animals and people to disembark, so he sent out birds to test the environment. A raven was sent, but it just kept flying around. Next Noah sent out a dove. The first time it flew out and returned, but the second time it returned with a freshly plucked olive leaf in its beak. When Noah saw this, he knew that the waters had receded, that the judgment was past and something new was about to happen.
A sign from God requires us to be open and receptive, looking beyond the ordinary to find meaning in our experiences and can come in many forms, whether through scripture, nature, the counsel of others, or even our inner feelings so we must be open and willing to except the sign understanding that God constantly communicates with us.
The Third way God remembered Noah was God began to speak to Him. Genesis 8 15 -17 says, “And God spake unto Noah, saying, Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons' wives with thee. Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth”.
When God speaks, He gives clear and precise instructions that cause us to be able to experience His Love Power and Presence. We must listen and obey what God is saying to us.
Genesis 8:18-21 says, “And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him: Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark. And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar”. After God Remembered Noah and caused the rains to stop, the water to abate, and bring him out of the ark into something new, Noah remembered God, he his family and the animals left the place that held them in darkness and uncertainty, they left from were they where and began to worship God again. So often after we have been delivered from the mess, we forget God and continue living our lives. Noah built and altar and worshipped God. When God remembers you - you must remember God and worship Him.
CLOSING: - I know 2024 has been a year of darkness, uncertainty, it may have tossed you from side to side and may have even made you feel as though God has forgotten all about you. There may be some that in the depth of despair feel like there is no hope and want to give, but we must hold fast, stand strong, and know that God Remembered Me.
WATCH THIS: - 2025 is going to be the year of Divine Completeness. 2+0+2+5=9 and 9 is Divine Completeness and Finality. There are 9 Fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23. Christ died at hour 9 of the day, or 3 p.m., to make the way of salvation open to everyone. Jesus appeared alive on 9 separate occasions after he was resurrected from the dead. He appeared once to Mary Magdalene and once to two men traveling to Emmaus, a group of 500 believers and his half-brother James. He miraculously showed himself five other times to various groupings of the apostles.
So regardless of how 2024 may have been filled with despair, hopelessness, anxiety, heartache, loneliness or any other disastrous feelings. Understand it will turn around in 2025 because God Remembered Me/You.
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
