Remember (Zachar): A Promise Kept is a Promise Kept

Ezekiel 16:60 Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you.

EXPOSITION: To remember, in the Hebrew language, is to bring to mind, not just for the sake of recall, but to rekindle as to light incense. Its smoke lingers, not to be quickly forgotten. The implication is to give time to think about what is promised and to intentionally do something about it.

BACKSTORY: The prophet Ezekiel is called to remind the idolatrous people that God made relationship promises to them in the formative years as his people, promises to bless and not curse. At the heart of the covenant was the insistence on faithfulness. God wanted the people to remember that when they were young and nothing, insignificant compared to other peoples, He lifted them up and made them something. Unfortunately, His people forgot their youth. Their idolatry was akin to adultery, cheating no clothing can camouflage, no perfume can cover.

ILLUSTRATION: On the other hand, remembering to consider the feelings others like this grace-full ten-year-old girl is a fragrance that is refreshing to our spirit in these times of shutdowns, deadlocks and masked raids. Here is a story to remember courtesy of Quora: My 10-year-old daughter witnessed an elderly lady at a pizza place ask a teen boy if she could buy the stuffed animal he had just won out of a machine.

He said, "NO. It's for my girl." My daughter asked me for a dollar to see if she could win this lady something. Well, she won! When she gave the little stuffed leopard to the lady, she almost cried. Her Bill had a stroke and is in the hospital. She wanted the little stuffed animal to cheer her sister up. The sweet lady tried to give my daughter a dollar as a reward and she said, 'No, thank you. I just want a picture with you because you're so beautiful.'

Before we left, my kids asked if we could get a to-go pizza to give to one of the homeless people that are always around that area. We found a couple not too far away and talked with them for about 10 minutes, learning their story. I ran out of "blessing bags" a while back and didn't have anything other than the pizza and $20 to give them. But what they gave us was more than gold. We were blessed to be a blessing for them"

APPLICATION: Think about your promises to be faithful to God. Are you a promise keeper or a painted lady? Remember, God is grace full. He will not forget His promises to you. Remember to light some incense of kindness for the room you occupy this week.