Book of Remembrance

Malachi 3:13-18 (NKJV):

¹³ “Your words have been harsh against Me,” Says the Lord, “Yet you say, ‘What have we spoken against You?’

¹⁴ You have said, ‘It is useless to serve God; What profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, And that we have walked as mourners Before the Lord of hosts?

¹⁵ So now we call the proud blessed, For those who do wickedness are raised up; They even tempt God and go free.’”

¹⁶ Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, And the Lord listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the Lord And who meditate on His name.

¹⁷ “They shall be Mine,” says the Lord of hosts, “On the day that I make them My jewels.^[a] And I will spare them As a man spares his own son who serves him.”

¹⁸ Then you shall again discern Between the righteous and the wicked, Between one who serves God And one who does not serve Him.

Here once again, God shows His true character and faithfulness to remind us to persevere to walk in His ways. He promises us to be written in His Book of Remembrance if only we continue in our walk with the Lord. There have been so many days when I stood up before God and asked: “Why is it that wicked and proud succeed and I am being mocked?” This is the answer that He gives us that God doesn`t forget those who mourn and walk in His way; He doesn`t forget those who choose to suffer for the righteousness` sake; He writes out all those deeds in His Book of Remembrance. Isn`t it a great consolation for those of us who have been through a lot or continue to go through this path of trials, to know that God doesn`t forget anything that we do in His honor, but He promises to reward us?

Most of the verses and sermons that God`s been showing me is a reminder that Satan’s days are numbered, and he was already defeated. All trials have their deadline, and God doesn`t allow us to be tempted or tried beyond of what we can endure.

When we think of all the proud or those who hurt us and continue to be invincible, we tend to concentrate rather on them than on ourselves. The one main thing that God`s been pondering on my heart through all these trials is His interest in our hearts. That`s all He cares about, and whatever the cost, He is only interested in saving us by allowing us whatever possible opportunity. If we accept Jesus` sacrifice, believe that, and confess our true genuine repentance recognizing that we are nothing without Jesus` blood, than we are granted the most precious gift of all—salvation and eternal life with our Heavenly Father.

When we concentrate on the debt and payment of those who walk invincibly and proud paths unpunished, we lose sight of God`s desired plan on our life.

Asaph raised the same question to the Lord as many of us ask when we see the injustice of the wicked prospering and the righteous being oppressed. He said in Psalm 73:3-9 (NKJV):

³For I was envious of the boastful, When I saw the prosperity of the wicked. ⁴For there are no pangs in their death, But their strength is firm. ⁵ They are not in trouble as other men, Nor are they plagued like other men. ⁶ Therefore pride serves as their necklace; Violence covers them like a garment. ⁷ Their eyes bulge^[a] with abundance; They have more than heart could wish. ⁸ They scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression; They speak loftily. ⁹ They set their mouth against the heavens, And their tongue walks through the earth.

This is our human nature to look at the people around us and compare ourselves with the others. We shouldn`t do that. From the scripture in Malachi, God made it very clear that we shouldn`t envy the wicked and their “temporary” prosperity because their days are numbered and the judgment is prepared for them. As for us, who walk with the Lord, we should only worry about keeping the race and finishing it to the end, like Paul encourages us to do in his epistles.

Asaph later stated in the Psalm 73 after reasoning and coming into the Lord`s presence, that the wicked have a day appointed to them by the Lord, and they will have to pay for their deeds one day:

¹⁶When I thought how to understand this, It was too painful for me— ¹⁷Until I went into the sanctuary of God; Then I understood their end. ¹⁸ Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction. ¹⁹ Oh, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors. ²⁰ As a dream when one awakes, So, Lord, when You awake, You shall despise their image.

Here too, Asaph was tormented and plagued by chastening and cleansing his heart to be close to the lord, yet he couldn`t understand if all he was doing was vanity. That`s why when he went to the sanctuary (important part to note), he realized the end of the wicked and what awaits them.

Two main points to note here: First, Asaph realized the end of the wicked when he went to the sanctuary, and that`s in the presence of the Lord that he realized the true identity of God and His character. Only in the presence of the Lord we can understand His ways. Without being in His presence and asking Him questions, we can`t understand His word; that requires a relationship with Him. In His presence, Asaph realized the end of the wicked, that their ways are despised by the Lord. He realized that God doesn`t sleep or closed His eyes on all evil they are doing, but He waits for His day to judge them according to their deeds.

Second point: God is sovereign and true to His word. He doesn`t contradict His scriptures, and what He promises in His word, He does it across the board. God is vigilant and watching over each one of His promises and scriptures.

I think it`s important for us to remember that whatever we do, it should not be for the people, so to look good in their eyes, but it should be for the Lord, so He could be pleased with us. That`s my goal, to please Him regardless of how people mock me and judge me. Their ways are numbered just as much as mine are, so I might as well live my life to be written out in God`s Book of Remembrance to make sure I am rewarded by His goodness and love.

If you go through the trials and you ask the same questions as people asked thousands of years ago in the Old Testament, please know that the days of the wicked are numbered even if they prosper now and get what they want now. They will have to pay for their evil ways before the Lord because God is a holy God, and He will not allow His character to be mocked. All we should do is watch over our ways, and how we live, instead of looking at those who live as if without consequences because they will have consequences. God promised that in His word.

Thank you, Lord, for remembering about me and of everything I stand for. May Your Name be glorified in all days of my life, in Jesus precious Name I pray. Amen.