Never Forget !

In the summer of 1978 I took a trip to New York city with a church group.  We were told one of the stops would be the fairly new World Trade Center and we’d get to go up to the top of the tallest building in the world.  As we got in the elevator and made our ascent it was the fastest elevator I’d ever travelled in !  We got out on the observation deck and looked around at the vast city and the world BELOW us and there it was several stories down: the Empire State Building (which had formerly held the record of the world’s tallest skyscraper) !!   I knew I was “on top of the world” that day, ha !   Being on top of that mammoth tower it felt as if the building was even moving some.  If you’re not into heights it wouldn’t have been your cup of tea !   But it was an experience I’ll never ever forget.

Today is the tenth anniversary of when those great structures came down and more importantly the lives lost and affected that day. Some still wonder why and people then and now say “We shall never forget”.  Our soldiers in Afghanistan say it’s still like an open wound to them.  Yet we’re not the only nation to have suffered so, ancient Israel had much to wonder why about and much to not forget.  

The Lord had warned Israel to not forget Him or He would bring in others to chasten them with the intent of bringing them back to Him.  Read Deuteronomy 28 !!  But for now look just at verse 1, “And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all His commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth.”  The chapter then goes on to list the blessings that God will bring upon the obedient yet He follows with a curse, if not, starting in verse 15, “But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God. . . all these curses shall come upon thee and overtake thee.”  Many Christians have prayed God would use 9/11 to change our nation spiritually.

Now God understands we won’t be perfect in our obedience but we must be clean by making sure, A – we are saved, B- we are living FOR Him  and confessing our sin as 1 John 1:9 states, “If we confess our sin He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”      I won’t ever forget my experience, we won’t ever forget 9/11, but more than these we must never ever forget our great and gracious God Who knows our weakness and loves us still and simply desires we walk in obedience to Him and His Word !  Don’t forget that today, that’s the greatest legacy you can return to the memory of those who have passed on that tragic day !!!