Looking Backwards
A Encouragement To Remember
I shall remember the deeds of the Lord; Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
I will meditate on all Your work and muse on Your deeds. - Psalm 77:11-12
I want you to imagine, for a moment, what your life would be like if you could not employ the use of memory. Think of a scenario in which having your memory was absolutely crucial. You fell out of a boat on a fishing excursion, the lake was deep; aren’t you glad you could recall your swimming lessons? You’re out on a hunt and spot a big 12-point Buck; Remembering how to operate your rifle will make all the difference. You receive an assignment to finish the first seven chapters of The Odyssey by Monday; Remembering how to read sure comes in handy then, doesn’t it? Times like these, and others bearing stakes far more dire, call for the use of our own recollections, the imprint in our brains of days gone by, the hieroglyphics on the walls of our minds that we might look back upon to gain wisdom and foresight for the future and it’s ever-consistent challenges.
The natural ability to bend backwards the neck of our fragile human minds and stare into the great stone face of history is a timeless privilege, and one that I think is taken for granted more often than not. In the practical world, this is certainly the case. The Human species is known to keep extensive records, notating all the important events, occasions, wars, traditions, tragedies, and breakthroughs, gathering all of them up on to paper documents and computer files, and tucking them neatly away with all the other data of our existence that was deemed important and worthy of documenting. In most cases, we are wired to remember. To learn from the past, whether by means of curriculum textbook or timeless oral testimony, is not only fundamental in maintaining human life, but also immensely edifying to the character, growth, and wisdom of the personal life.
It is because of the written and photographic testimonies of D-Day and The Normandy Campaign that I feel a soul-level appreciation for the courage and sacrifice that a man of flesh is capable of in the name of freedom and liberty. Because Rilke’s letters of poetic advice found themselves solidified and perpetuated through page and publication, I may now, along with Franz Xaver Kappus and the young poets of all future generations, glean from the wisdom and direction that lies therein. If my ancestors, as far back as might be relevant, had not taken up the dutiful task (and art) of passing down those most delightful and sacred recipes, would I, their hungriest descendant, ever know such joys and pleasures of a well made skillet of cornbread and a pot of homemade soup?
My point is that looking back, in almost every mode of life, is a necessity. Not only does this apply to the lives and records made long before our time and far out of our immediate realm of expertise, but also that of our own personal experiences as individuals. If I were to microwave a thick sheet of tin-foil with my week-old burrito, how would I have ever gained the wisdom of not repeating such foolishness without the mental capacity of capturing a shadow of the original moment, the startle and sparks and all, in my mind to look back on? Furthermore, how would I have acquired the much needed wisdom and insight of abstaining from the consumption of week-old burritos in the first place without the gracious remembrance of the following bathroom consequences? If, at one time, I was devoted to the genius of jumping off of a particularly high place into particularly shallow water, should I not at least partially owe my newfound virtues of caution and prudence to that sharp recollection of broken bones and hospital beds? Though the pain proves unpleasant, does the stiffness of my cast not lend me wisdom? Does the soreness of my bruises not serve me well?
I recall from my youth a simple lesson that my father once bestowed to me on the subject. I was probably five or six years old, and I guess I must have done something at least mildly foolish and calling for a dose of fatherly reproof. We stood in the kitchen as he explained the nature of foolishness and bad decisions, and thus the consequences that follow them. I’ll always remember him showing me to our old electric stove and unfolding the simple parable:
“Now, if I turn this stove on and tell you that it’s hot and that you shouldn’t touch it, it’s important that you trust and obey what i’m telling you, right? If you don’t, if you get curious and disobey my words, maybe you hold your hand just slightly over it and feel the heat, just close enough to know it’s not good, and then you touch that stove, you’ll find out for yourself that it’s hot, that it hurts, and from then on you’ll know not to. You would know not to test the heat by getting close to it, and you would remember what the burn felt like; you would remember to obey my direction, wouldn’t you?”
A very simple metaphor, yes, but one with a lasting impression. It seems that the human craving to test the limits of folly, danger, and sin, dating back to the original shortcoming in the garden of Eden (“Did God really say…”), is somewhat ingrained in us as humans. This is not only evident in disobedient children, but in many far more consequential cases, survived into adult lives.
For example, a child may be told not to tease his brother, but quietly deals out a pinch or nasty face when thought to be hidden from his parent’s watch. He will, hopefully, learn to look back on this occasion with a new sense of discipline, owed mostly to a sore butt and the memories of his spankings. The boy is, though likely blinded with the frustration of his reproof, beyond blessed to receive such discipline and correction from his parents, not just for the sake of momentary correction, but for the sake of his soul being “saved from Sheol…” (Proverbs 23:13-15). Perhaps that sounds extreme, but is the point not made? The discipline he receives stands as a reminder that he can look back on to assist him in the paths he takes as he grows into a man, for now he also knows what path’s not to take, and that knowledge might just save his life, or even greater: his very soul.
As far as the reproof stuff goes, King Solomon wrote on the theme pretty heavily in the proverbs:
Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him. - Proverbs 22:15
Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him. - Proverbs 13:24
Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. - Proverbs 22:6
Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die. If you strike him with the rod, you will save his soul from Sheol. My son, if your heart is wise, my heart too will be glad. - Proverbs 23:13-15
Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart. - Proverbs 29:17
The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother. - Proverbs 29:15
Discipline your son, for there is hope; do not set your heart on putting him to death. - Proverbs 19:18
Like sheesh, it makes me think Rehoboam1 must have been trouble as a kid… The point is, all of this reproof and discipline will prove a great service in the subject’s life, but he must remember it to gain from it. If he can not recall what it’s like to be in sin, to receive his own consequences, to suffer from the fruit of his actions, he will never learn to see any problem with those actions, thus perpetuating his path toward sin, death, and ultimately, hell.
Let’s look at another example. In the same way, a grown man, married to a beautiful woman, is given a clear instruction: A call to the way of righteousness and faith, both to God and his dear wife, including that dire command, “Thou shalt not commit adultery”.
If he plays the old proverbial fool2 and wanders deep down the harlot’s path, he too will see, if he be granted any morsel of wisdom, the benefit in looking back upon his sin and the vicious wound he has placed on his beloved wife, perhaps most painfully reminded to him through her new absence. He will now personally understand the importance of obedience and discipline because he can look back at what happened. Though this man is likely to grieve much greater consequences, him and the boy can here relate; Neither one, if they bare any wisdom, is likely to repeat their trespasses any time soon.
I said he will understand ‘because he can look back’; So does this mean that we must always learn the hard way? Can wisdom only be obtained when adjoined with great pain and consequence? This is a question I have asked myself many times. A mentor of mine often employs an analogy that I have found very enlightening on the matter; A metaphor which we call, “The Long Leash”.
Now, I have to make a crucial distinction here; this analogy primarily applies to those who are following Christ. Otherwise, there really isn’t any sound means of direction or discipline to be found as far as true wisdom and righteousness goes; only self-righteous excuses, vain striving, and mediocre “how to be a good person” doctrines, none of which can ever make up for the weight of sin nor keep up with it’s consistency. (Hint, Hint, that’s why Jesus was sinless and died on your behalf…3) Outside of the full Holiness and atonement of Christ, you are left with only the shaky fragments of a moral standard and relative ideologies on how to maintain the status of being a ‘decent person’4. That doesn’t sound like a good standard to go by, does it? All the more reason to look into following Jesus, but I digress.
Anywho, the long leash goes something like this. We live out our lives in pursuit of being like Christ, which means we pursue the Way which He has said we ought to go; the things we ought to do and the things we ought not to do. Through scripture and the Holy Spirit, we receive directions, commands, and warnings, and are thus set on a sort of metaphorical “leash”. This is not a leash that hinders our free will, for it remains as free as ever, but rather a leash of God’s Will that we have willingly accepted and placed on our lives; the leash of the Holy Spirit’s direction and guidance. He tells us the right path, clearly and outright, and employs the Holy Spirit to help us stay in that good and fulfilling path. Think of it as perimeters that God gracefully puts on our lives to keep us in the “green pastures”5 of His Will and out of the thorn-bushes of sin and death.
Being that we are a race of fallen flesh with fallen desires, we naturally tend to wander from those good pastures that are set for us. We drift this way and that, seeking whatever false pleasure, sinful behavior, or ‘little g’ god that seems appealing to us at the time. Despite having been told the good way from the start, we make our choices and stretch the limits, tugging at that leash of conviction as hard as we can, ignoring and justifying and pulling closer to the things that will only bring trouble. God, in His magnificent patience, bears with us as we tug and pull, offering to us the choice to simply accept the grace of His convictions and obediently trust that He knows which ways are good and which ways are bad.
Regardless, we often find ourselves maintaining the fleshly position that we somehow know better than God, and we pull and tug and yank further and further until finally God allows us to see what happens when we take the ways we think are best. He releases the leash, and immediately we feel the thorns; the consequences that we ultimately chose for ourselves. The stove is hot, it burns; it hurts. We now know the truth by the consequences of running from it, and having obtained wisdom from such consequences, we may look back on it and steer clear next time. We may be thankful both for the leash and the consequences of getting off of it.
Not only must we “look back” for the purpose of steering clear of sin and recalling our “hard-earned” wisdom, but also to simply marvel at the wondrous things the Lord has done. This is the sort of remembrance that we most often forget to do. All throughout scripture, God is incessantly reminding the Israelites to “remember the deeds of the Lord”6, particularly in how He delivered them out of Egypt.7 To preserve our knowledge and adoration for His good Character, God asks them to look back; On His Power, on His Works, and on His Love. What most of us miss is that God is still asking us to do this today. Though we were never enslaved in Egypt (hopefully), how many modern forms of slavery we have found ourselves trapped in! How many dark paths we fallen subject to! How many sins we have been liberated from! God showcases His power in delivering us from these foul clutches, and in the usual human response, we usually just forget it all completely, often just a few moments after it happened.
This is a treacherously ill-treatment toward our Savior, for the many works that have been completed for us deserve, in addition to our utmost thanks and praise, our constant remembrance. From Christ’s deeds on Calvary to the provision of a humble meal to the clothes that cover our backs, we ought to be taking every chance we can get to dwell on what all He has done to make these things possible. This is not a chore for us, but a delight. We may survey His wonderful deeds as one might survey the expansive beauty of the Sistine Chapel; We may look upon each artistic, perfectly executed detail with endless awe and adoration, still not knowing the half of what has been done. In stepping into this place of remembrance, we find that we simply cannot help but grow closer to the Almighty, that sacred Lover, the most wonderful Doer of deeds.
Furthermore, we know how important this sense of “looking back” is to the Lord when we read of Him and His disciples at the supper table just before He would be betrayed:
“And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.” (Luke 22:19-20)
“Do this in remembrance of me.”
Jesus Christ, the Messiah Himself, is asking me, asking you, asking all of us who love Him, to remember. He asks us to look back at His works, the most glorious of which He would accomplish shortly after he spoke the words of this verse. Each time we take up that bread and wine, we are looking back. Each time we give Him thanks, we are looking back. Each time we meditate on the Cross and the Salvation that was brought to us thereupon, we are looking back. Even within our own testimonies, He asks us to remember all the little places He showed up, the little places we would have otherwise overlooked. What sweet communion we share with our Savior when we simply turn our heads back to Him and look.
Several months ago, I was driving home and as I was preparing to get onto the interstate I took a habitual glance in the rearview mirror. Upon doing so, I saw more than just the impatient drivers behind me and the ever-filling traffic, but rather something beautiful: I saw the Heaven’s spilling out their golden rays through the drifting clouds; a beautiful sunset. It was in the simplicity of this small moment that I received the message I have here written, for in that moment I was reminded how even the slightest glance backwards can reveal so much of God’s goodness and glory. I was reminded to look in the rearview mirror of my life and see all that the Lord has accomplished, both in me and through me.
May we never take for granted our ability to recall. May we always cherish what the pages of the past hold for us, tools for our betterment and direction. May we daily dwell on each major and minor work of God’s Hands. May we delight in looking back on Jesus’s completed work, the great crescendo of all history, while never ceasing to look forward to His return.
May we never forget to remember.
— I. S. H.
King Solomon’s Son. (1 Kings 11:43)
Proverbs 7:6-23 — For at the window of my house I looked out through my lattice, And I saw among the naive, And discerned among the youths A young man lacking sense, Passing through the street near her corner; And he takes the way to her house, In the twilight, in the evening, In the middle of the night and in the darkness. And behold, a woman comes to meet him, Dressed as a harlot and cunning of heart. She is boisterous and rebellious, Her feet do not remain at home; She is now in the streets, now in the squares, And lurks by every corner. So she seizes him and kisses him And with a brazen face she says to him: ‘I was due to offer peace offerings; Today I have paid my vows. Therefore I have come out to meet you, To seek your presence earnestly, and I have found you. I have spread my couch with coverings, With colored linens of Egypt. I have sprinkled my bed With myrrh, aloes and cinnamon. Come, let us drink our fill of love until morning; Let us delight ourselves with caresses. For my husband is not at home, He has gone on a long journey; He has taken a bag of money with him, At the full moon he will come home.’ With her many persuasions she entices him; With her flattering lips she seduces him. Suddenly he follows her As an ox goes to the slaughter, Or as one in fetters to the discipline of a fool, Until an arrow pierces through his liver; As a bird hastens to the snare, So he does not know that it will cost him his life.”
Romans 5:6-11 — “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”
Romans 3:10-12 — “As it is written: ‘There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.’”
Psalm 23:1-2 — “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.”
Psalm 77:11 — “I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old.”
Deuteronomy 6:12 — “…then take care lest you forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.”
Such a great reminder Ian! One of the great things I look back and see in the rearview mirror from His hand is the gift of you to my daughter and my family!