Choice of Memory/Belief

May 28, 2023

Choice of Memory/Belief

Gratefully, for most of us, there are no personal memories of the battlefield where lives were sacrificed for the freedoms we now share. Remembering and considering the incredible price that was paid, however, is necessary for doing our part in caring for and preserving the great treasure they won for us. Where the memories are allowed to fade, the rights and privileges they fought so hard to protect may be lost to deceptive selfish enticements. Believing in the principles that have made this nation powerful and worth fighting for is contingent on intentionally honoring the memories of our heroes and the cause that inspired their courage and bravery. Every life poured out is a reason to stand up and fight for the same purpose that was set in their hearts.

Though our memories don’t come from having personally been there at Jesus’ trial and crucifixion, remembering His broken body and shed blood makes it possible for those moments of His sacrifice to be effective in our lives today. Though everything He endured was for us, it is only by believing in this that the rights and privileges He won are enjoyed. As essential as eating is, there is a need for considering our Hero and His priceless sacrifice for the cause of our freedom. Without continual intentional recall of His passion for us, appreciation and care for our new life in Him may be willingly exchanged for temporary cares of this life. Our rightful inheritance in Him will be lost to a whimsical appetite. There are, though, endless opportunities to effectively guard a heart of belief by remembering the price He paid and for what. With each consideration is an awakening of faith in that heart as it is liberated to freely walk in newness of life.

Notes

Desmond Doss – Louis Zamperini

In remembering the fallen will come honor for the cause their lives served.

To remove a memory is to take away the ability to believe and act on its purpose or cause.

Forgetting heroes and their mission is opening the door to the return of what they overcame.

Memory enables belief as vision enables action.

Forgetting leads to rebellion.

Memories chosen determine heart beliefs.

The heart’s abundance - chosen memories

Luke 6:45 (NKJV) 45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

The heart’s content/memories determines life’s course

Proverbs 4:23 (NLT) 23 Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

With each intentional memory is a corresponding action/consequence

Psalms 37:3-8 (NLT) 3 Trust in the LORD and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. 4 Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart’s desires. 5 Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you. 6 He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun. 7 Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes. 8 Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper—it only leads to harm.

Using memories to choose the heart’s abundance:

  • Trust – Memory of proven promises – safe living
  • Delight – Savoring moments spent in His presence – adjusted/satisfied desires
  • Commit – Dedicating priorities to the memory of His cause – empowered purpose
  • Be still – Remembering His greatness and allowing Him to work – Peace in production
  • Refuse anger – Recalling His protection and defense – avoiding self-inflicted harm

In the memory of His words is the experience of their life.

John 14:26 (NLT) 26 But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.

Overview:

  • In remembering the fallen will come honor for the cause their lives served.
  • Remembering a story brings its experience into the present.
  • Beliefs are formed by memories chosen.
  • Removing a memory disables belief in its cause.
  • Memories determine the heart’s abundance.
  • There is a memory of God that will guard every part of the heart.
  • The Holy Spirit will remind us of everything Jesus has spoken.

Prayer:

Father, fill my heart with honor for the great sacrifices that have enabled the blessings in my life. By the Holy Spirit, flood my heart with an abundance of Your words and actions that will transform my life for Your glory.

Declarations:

  • The blessings and rights that I enjoy today were paid for by sacrifices for their cause.
  • Their purpose comes to life when I honor their memory.
  • In choosing to remember what has been won for me I am enabling belief to pursue and possess it.
  • I guard the treasure of my heart by choosing to care for it with memories of God’s goodness.
  • By the Spirit I am kept in the memory of Jesus’ words and experience of Life.