Memorial Day is bigger than backyard barbeques. Our nation has set this day aside to remember the men and women who died in the military. The sacrifices of these brave soldiers deserve to be remembered. It causes us to think of the painful consequences of war. It inspires others towards the virtues of sacrifice.
We work very hard not to forget important things. We have calendars with important dates highlighted. Our doctors send us messages to remind us of appointments. We tie strings around our fingers and stick Post-It notes on the wall, all in an effort to remember.
One of the beautiful promises of scripture is when God promises not to remember. In Jeremiah 31:31-34, the Lord speaks of a new covenant that Jesus would make with his people. This covenant is unlike the covenant that the Israelites broke with God after Egypt. This new covenant ends with a promise: “I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Jeremiah 31:34)
The book of Hebrews uses this text to remind believers that they have something worth remembering: God’s promise to forget! When the prophet Micah described God’s forgiveness, he said, that God “will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.” (Micah 7:19)
When God forgives us, he forgives us totally and completely. He doesn’t put us on divine probation. He wipes the slate clean and promises never to bring it back up again. What a blessing!