Several times in scripture, we come across verses that read, “then God remembered ….”, such as in Genesis 30:22 where we are told that, “God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb”.
Does this mean that God could sometimes forget about us and then suddenly remember his Fatherly duties towards us? I doubt it, since our God is all knowing (omniscient), and hence that cannot be the case.
The expression: “God remembered”, speaks of the appointed time He has purposed to answer the prayers of the person or the people in question. Being remembered by God is an encouragement to us that all our prayers are heard by Him, and even when He appears to be silent or distant, His heart and intentions for us are still good.
In Acts 10:1-8, we are told of a centurion named Cornelius, who although was a Gentile, was a proselyte and had come to faith in God. We are told that he feared God, prayed continually and was a generous man who cared for the poor and needy. The passage reads, “About the ninth hour of the day he [Cornelius] saw clearly in a vision an angel of God come in and say to him, “Cornelius.” And he stared at him in terror and said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms [giving to the poor] have ascended as a memorial before God”. In other words, God has taken notice of your godly lifestyle and your good deeds towards others and has in turn decided to bless you.
Like Cornelius, many of us may not know the extent to which our prayers, our love for our neighbour, our sacrifice in serving the Lord and generosity towards others and the work of ministry (the church) pleases God. Cornelius may have at times wondered whether he was doing the right thing, whether the person he was helping deserved it or not, or whether his generosity towards furthering the Lord’s mission was worth it.
For some of us, we have been good, kind, and overly generous towards others and the Lord’s mission, and at times, it may seem like God has forgotten about us. We are however reminded here that God has not forgotten about us. He remembers His children, their sacrifices and love towards others, and in due season He will bless them.
Paul exhorted the church of Galatia saying, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” Galatians 6:9
The Psalmist also writes, “For his anger is but for a moment, and his favour is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning” Psalm 30:5
Be assured that God will not be indebted to anyone. He will surely answer you in due season.
“Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” Psalm 27:14
Be encouraged.
Blessings,
Chris Eke
