Jump Start # 1897

Proverbs 10:7 “The memory of the righteous is blessed, but the name of the wicked will rot.”

Our verse is about remembering people, not just anyone, but specifically the righteous. Most can remember school teachers, coaches, neighbors. These folks are in our lives for a short while. Some make differences and others just pass through without much impact.

Here, in our verse, the memory of the righteous is blessed. You remember a Christian. Something about that person has stayed in your mind and your heart. There was a quality that stuck with you. They were kind to you. They took the time to leave an impression upon you, even when you were just a kid. They stood out. Maybe you were going through a tough time in your life and they were there to navigate you through some tough decisions. Maybe others were ready to give up on you, but this one person was there. Forgiving. Gracious. Willing to give you a second chance. Believing in you.

Now, years later, you have moved on. Maybe that righteous person has finished his journey here. You’ve grown up, gotten married and are busy in your world. But something brought their memory to you. That happened just today for me. So innocent. So nothing. Today is Jump Start # 1897. That number, 1897, was the year my grandfather was born. I have a picture of him that sits in my office. It was taken around the time he was married. I don’t remember him looking like that. He was old when I remember him. He passed away when I was in college. He was a kind, decent man who walked with the Lord. His middle name was given as a middle name to one of my sons. But something as simple as a number, can bring the memory of the righteous to you.

Last summer I was preaching in another state. A home I visited had an old wooden pulpit that was decorated and being used as a show piece. When I was told where that pulpit came from and who once stood behind it, one of my heroes, a flood of memories came to my mind.

There are three simple thoughts we ought to see here:

First, we ought to surround ourselves with righteous people. We need to be making memories of these men. Eugene is a man that worships with me. I’ve noticed that when we have a visiting preacher, he’ll have them sign his Bible. He’s getting quite a list. My son was asked to do that recently. He was preaching in another place. Someone asked him to sign his Bible. There were several names. To his surprise, my name was among them. Do more than worship with righteous people, get to know them. Include them in your life. Learn from them. See the amazing footprints that they are leaving. We do well when we surround ourselves with quality people and people that we plan to see in Heaven. For young, as well as for old, our troubles often come from being influenced by worthless people. People who do not love the Lord can take us away from Him.

Second, we need to reflect upon what made these people special to us. This is the memory part. In thinking about them, our thoughts ought to quickly turn to thankful prayers. We are thankful for the difference these righteous ones have made in our lives. Do you have a list of spiritual heroes? My preaching son, Jordan and I were talking one day, and we envisioned the “Dream Team” of a church. Of all the song leaders we know, who would we have on our Dream Team. We named elders. Who would be our dream elders. We named preachers. We named deacons. We named righteous people. That dream team will be assembled someday in Heaven. But that fun little trip down memory lane, allowed me to share with him the names and incredible stories of brethren who have helped me through the years. Remembering good people and good deeds helps us. It makes us feel loved. It reminds us of what is good and right.

The second half of our verse says the name of the wicked will rot. The wicked are forgotten. We sometimes do just the opposite of what this verse says. We remember the hurts and the pains and we forget to count our blessings. We forgot about the wonderful righteous people but we hold on to the ugliness that has been thrown our way. Remembering the pain and the sins only takes our spirits down. It makes us feel alone. We want to give up on others because of the awful way we were treated. Forget that stuff. Let it go. Don’t hold on to that. Don’t make that a memory. Instead, focus upon the righteous. Remember them. Remember the good that they did and the good that they were.

I find that too many of us are running full speed ahead and we just don’t have time to remember. There is too much to do and we move at such a fast pace that who has time to think about people long ago. So we don’t. Pictures on bookshelves help. Names in a Bible help. When certain hymns are sung, it takes us to places long ago and worshipping with special people in our lives. Don’t let the needs of today, cause you to lose the memory of the righteous. I took one of my commentaries home the other night to read about a section of Scripture. As I opened the book, several papers fell out. I had forgotten that they were in that book. One was from a funeral of a righteous man. Another piece of paper was a handwritten note that righteous man had sent me. The bottom of the note was his signature, only his first name. It read, “Jim.” It was a note from a dear righteous man, Jim Babcock. It was sweet and kind—just like I remember him. The memory of the righteous.

The third aspect of these thoughts is that you and I need to be living in such a way that we become the memory for someone. Years from now we may be finished with our journey here, but if this world carries on, our memory will remain in the lives that we have touched. Just as others have been special to us, we need to be doing the same for others. A word to my fellow preachers. Most of us can remember the first preacher in our lives. For many of us, we were little kids and we remember that booming voice. Years from now, someone may say your name as the very first preacher that they ever remembered. What will that memory be? There may be folks today who are sticking notes that you have written into books and Bibles and years from now, those notes may fall out and they may pause and reflect upon a life well lived.

How you live and the time you give to others does make a difference. While you may forget what you have done, they may always remember it. That very memory may help them continue to do what is right. That memory of you may make them realize that they too need to be leaving a godly memory to their family.

The memory of the righteous…oh, the thoughts that brings to us. And what is very special about this is that God never forgets those righteous ones. He knows what they did. The memory of them is precious to the Lord.

Roger