¹⁶ Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who esteem His name.¹⁷ “They will be Mine,” says the Lord of hosts, “on the day that I prepare My own possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.” 

Malachi 3:16 – 17 

The Westminster Confession says that the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever!  As I reflect on scripture, what I know to be true and the sum of my experience to this point, I fully embrace the Confession and see clearly that the purpose of this life is to prepare us for eternity.  So how do we get to that place of keeping an eternal perspective?  What do we do when our life boat starts to take on water and our faith is stretched beyond what is reasonable?  Malachi 3:16 speaks of a Book of Remembrance in which the names of those who fear the Lord are recorded.  It is unknown whether or not Malachi is speaking of the Book of Life (Daniel 12:1; Philippians 4:3), but Revelation 20:12 speaks of multiple books including the Book of Life.  A Book of Remembrance also appears to be mentioned in Psalm 139:16 in which David notes that, “In Your book were written the days that were ordained for me before any of them ever occurred.”  I believe that Psalm 56:8 also mentions this Book of Remembrance as it states that God puts our tears in a bottle and our sorrows are recorded in His book.

So what does all of this mean?  The first thing that stands out to me is that our sorrows matter to God and He records them along with our names.  One important note about the Book of Remembrance is that God records the names of those who fear Him and esteem His name.  To unpack that a little, it should be understood that to possess the attribute of fearing the Lord means that He is first in our lives and that reverence for Him transcends all other fears, all circumstances, all enemies, every created thing that seeks to separate us from the love of God because we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us! (Romans 8:31-39).

A friend of mine called me about two weeks ago to ask if I had any updates.  I was awaiting some news, that if bad, would have forced me to shift gears on my life dreams and goals.  Nothing life threatening, just would have been a huge disappointment and caused me to rethink all of the open doors that I have walked through over the last year.  Then my friend asked me if I remembered a conversation he and I had two years ago.  I did remember it quite well, and he reminded me of all of the things that have transpired since then.  I was well aware of what he shared, but it was nice to hear it from an outsider who watched everything unfold, because I tend to be optimistic, which has gotten me clobbered a few times.  In short, the Lord moved mountains to make a way in situations that seemed hopeless.   As things unfolded, I began to pray scriptures like Luke 1:37, Matthew 19:26, Mark 11:23-24, Matthew 7:7, and Mark 9:23-24 to eventually arrive at Psalm 5:3, “to lift up my prayers in the morning and eagerly await.”  I still live here as God continues to press down on me to pray without doubting.  So, in answering the call, I was able to share with my buddy that I had received good news which was another testimony of the faithfulness of God, especially in this part of my journey where I am responding to the Second Call.  Gideon comes to mind as God wants me to know of His working, lest I become proud, and then I can testify that it was His power and lovingkindness that delivered me (Judges 7:2).

In thinking about how the Lord records our lives in His faithfulness, it brings me to a place of realizing the process that I go through when faced with fear, anxiety, impatience, anger, self-pity, and every other emotion that leads me to a place of not trusting God, doubting God, questioning the promises of God, not waiting patiently on the timing of God and forgetting the sovereignty of God.  My process is to remember, and I actually practice remembering.  To remember what God has done helps me be grateful and thankful and hopeful and patience and have peace.  It is a simple thing, but has a profound impact on how I address circumstances that are that are not ideal.  So these are the things that I remember:

I remember who God is (Job 38 – 39; Psalm 23:1; Isaiah 43:10, 44:6, 45:22; Hebrews 4:15-16)

I remember who I am to God (Psalm 131:2; John 1:12; John 15:15; Romans 8:15-7; Ephesians 1:3-14)

I remember scripture and the promises of God (Hebrews 4:12; 1 Timothy 3:16)

I remember Habakkuk and Gideon and Jacob and Joseph and Peter and David before Achish and God’s faithfulness in all of their lives!

I remember that my life is not an accident (Psalm 139:1-18)

I remember that God’s love is fierce, forgiving and proven (Luke 15:20)

I remember that nothing can separate me from the love of God (Romans 8:38-39)

I remember that everything that happens in my life is to make me more like Jesus (Romans 8:29 and Galatians 4:19)

I remember that God is faithful (Lamentations 3:23)

I remember that seeds must be buried in darkness in order to take root, grow and be fruitful. (John 12:24)

I remember that it is by many hardships that we enter the Kingdom of God (Acts 14:22; Isaiah 48:10; Job 23:10; Psalm 66:10)

I remember how I arrived at today and the rough path and the storms that God helped me navigate when life was overwhelming (Proverbs 16:9)

I remember that one must go to the grave before being resurrected, so death is a necessity of life!

I remember not to judge God by what people do and that Jesus prayed for His killers, literally while He was being murdered (Luke 23:34)

I remember that fear is often like fog, blocking visibility, but a square mile of fog condensed could not fill a glass of water! (1 John 4:18)

I remember when darkness fell on my life and I knew it could not get any worse, then the unthinkable happened, yet God sustained me!

I remember surviving the unthinkable and thanking God for His peace, but not realizing that was just the calm before the storm, yet God sustained me!

I remember breaking news one morning, not realizing that the event unfolding thousands of miles away would reveal secrets from my past that I was unaware of, yet God sustained me!

I remember a friend in my office a couple of years back, telling me that he was ready for divorce.  That same man told me recently that his wife is the greatest blessing of his life!  God restores!

I remember doctors telling me they cant explain it, but I am healed. That allowed me to be in Chicago two days later where I met two people who changed my life!  God is weaving my tapestry!

I remember covenanting with God about a business decision, one that would have gotten me terminated, but God protected and provided amidst harsh criticism and answered every prayer related to that transaction for the good of many families (Judges 7:2) God gives wisdom!

I remember so many things about His faithfulness, that I now sit in the gathering storms, eagerly awaiting to see how He will deliver.  I am not saying I never worry, but I remember how I arrived at today and I often default to anticipating instead of anxiety. (Psalm 5:3)  I use to wonder if I was foolishly optimistic, but I am much closer now to believing that God is who He says He is and He is seeking to show me His graciousness (Isaiah 30:18).

I remember that the most important thing about me has been settled in eternity, long before today, long before circumstances and people were known (Ephesians 1:3-14)

I remember all of this has shaped me, grown my faith, made me wiser, trained me to help others, and everything that unfolded has brought me to this time and place.   Because God has demonstrated His faithfulness in my life, I can trust He is in control and that I don’t have to be.  It is okay to wait, to sit quietly until the fog lifts.  I learned that fear and anxiety grow when I try to navigate the fog on my own.  When I think of the road I have traveled, it is not a path I would have chosen, but it did bring me closer to the high places.  Through it all, I remember that I am still a pilgrim, and I am still in process, but I can pause half way up the mountain of spices, look down at the valley and see that I have made progress, and this enables me to take the next step upward!

(Further Reading: Old Testament; New Testament)