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The days and weeks
fly by quickly and are so often taken up with things that
have no lasting value. Few of us can recall what we were doing
on this day twelve months ago. While we can not remember,
there is one who does remember and there is a book of remembrance
written before Him for them that fear the Lord and think upon
His Name.
Paul talks about
his fellow labourers whose names are in the book of life,
and John in a vision saw the dead, small and great, stand
before God; and the books were opened and another book was
opened which is the book of life and the dead were judged
out of those things which were written in the books, according
to their works.
Record keeping
is an essential part of all business and without their books
businesses wouldn’t know what they were doing. 1n order to
conserve space many firms now microfilm their records and
transfer them to small negatives which can be projected on
a screen when the information they contain is wanted.
It is interesting
to contemplate the type of record God is keeping of our life.
While we may not recall the unkind act or harsh word of yesteryear,
we know that all God’s children are going to ”appear before
the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the
things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether
it be good or bad.”
It makes no difference
whether our life will be projected on a screen or only called
to mind, we know that the judge of all the earth shall do
right and every man will be rewarded according as his works
shall be. If we always keep in mind that a book of remembrance
is being kept of our lives perhaps we will act more wisely
and talk more discreetly.
The words of Jesus
often cause us to tremble, for he declares. ”But I say unto
you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall
give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words
thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”
Paul tells us to
walk in love as Christ also loved us, and then he lists some
things which should not be named among us as saints, and he
includes ”foolish talking and jesting” which he says are not
convenient.
Many people in
the world today talk in a completely different way when they
know their words are being recorded.
As God’s children,
let us remember that our words are always being recorded.
”Let your speech be always with grace,” says Paul, ”seasoned
with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.”
James declares
”out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing,” and
he concludes by telling us. ”My brethren, these things ought
not so to be. Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge
among you? Let him shew out of a good conversation his works
with meekness of wisdom.”
We are each writing
a book every day of our lives. The things we say and do are
becoming a record and there is a day coming when the book
we have written will be opened before our Lord. Let us so
walk and talk that in that day our name will be recorded in
the book of life.
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