Elliephants Never Forget
Megan Breedlove This morning, my husband and I were discussing who was going to take my son to his occupational therapy appointment. I offered to do it, depending on whether or not my youngest was needing to nurse at that time. My husband said he didn’t mind taking Kenny. “I told Ellie I’d take her, too, next time I went,” he said, referring to our oldest. “But maybe she’ll forget.”
“Ohhhh, no, she won’t,” I thought to myself. “Ellie won’t forget.”
I didn’t say anything, however, because there was always the chance that she would forget. Like maybe…one chance in a million.
You see, Ellie never forgets anything that affects her. Being told to clean up a mess? Yep, she forgets I ever said that. But being told that she can do something, or go somewhere, or receive something—these things, she never forgets.
Sometimes, she doesn’t remember until after it’s too late, or just after the fact—as in months after the fact. Sometimes, she will bring up something I barely remember because it was so long ago, and I think, where on earth did she dredge that up from?
This time, however, she apparently remembered on time, because my husband came into the room later and said, “Both girls want to go, so I’ll take them, too.”
We should have known she wouldn’t forget.
If Ellie hadn’t said anything to show that she remembered, neither my husband nor I would have mentioned it. My husband would have taken Kenny to therapy by himself, and I would have kept Ellie at home.
There have been other times when I have promised something and then hoped my child forgot my promise. At times, I have remained silent unless the child reminded me of my promise, hoping to get out of having to make good on it. I suspect that you may have done the same thing, too.
Aren’t you glad God doesn’t treat us, and his promises to us, this way? Aren’t you glad he doesn’t make a promise, then hope we forget so he doesn’t have to make good on it?
I think it’s natural for human beings to hope to be released from a promise. Maybe at the time we made the promise, we thought we would easily be able to fulfill it, only to find when it came time to make good that it wasn’t convenient.
Maybe we promised something we never should have promised in the first place.
Maybe we promised something that seemed like a good idea, only to find that our imperfect knowledge and foresight had failed to anticipate changing circumstances.
Aren’t you glad none of these things applies to God?
God never hopes we forget his promises. In fact, he has gone to great lengths to make sure we remember.
I don’t know how many times in the Bible God promises that he will be with us. I do know that it’s a lot.
God wants us to remember his promises and to take him up on them. In fact, he tells us to ask and then watch him pour out blessings upon us. He wants us to count him trustworthy, and to ask him to fulfill his word.
Since God is omniscient, he never makes a promise that seems like a good idea, only to find out later that it wasn’t. Since he is perfect, he never promises something he shouldn’t. Since he is omnipotent, he never promises something that he later finds it inconvenient to fulfill.
Oh, friend, do you realize how precious this is? I know you would agree with me, in your head, that it is exceedingly precious. But do you realize it in your heart? Have you taken God up on his promises? Have you asked him to fulfill his word to you? Have you lived your life in confidence that he will fulfill that which he has spoken, knowing that therefore there is no need to worry?
Friends, let us rejoice that we have such a wonderful, amazing God, who not only makes perfect promises, but who wants us to remember them and ask him for them and delights to fulfill them in our lives.
So the next time you fulfill a promise to your child—or find yourself not wanting to—take time to praise our awesome God for his love and faithfulness, and to thank him for all his promises he has fulfilled in your life.
Numbers 23:19—God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?
Malachi 3:10—“Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.”