What are some of the things that people forget? [Birthdays; Names of People; Return Phone Calls; Put the Rubbish Out; Take meat out of the freezer; Passwords].
I want to tell you a story about a boy who forgot something. The boy was called John. For the first 7 years of John’s life his mother prayed for him and with him every day. She taught him the Bible and the good news of Jesus.
But when John was about 7, his mother died, and John soon forgot everything that she had taught him. He also started to do all sorts of stuff that was wrong and continued to do this as he grew older and worked on a ship, including ships that transported slaves.
There were many times God tried to remind John of the things his mother had taught him.
At one time, he fell from a horse and looked death right in the face. He was deeply moved by this, but soon he forgot.
Another time he was going to go rowing with his friends but arrived late and missed the boat! That day the boat that John was supposed to be on, capsized and all his friends drowned. At their funeral, he was moved again, but soon he forgot.
It wasn’t until one night when the ship he was sailing in was in a storm and filling up with water that he cried out to the Lord to show him mercy. God did keep him and the rest of the crew safe. As John reflected on this, he remembered what he had been taught and trusted in Jesus to rescue him from his sins.
He would never forget this. He gave up working on ships to become a minister and tell others the good news about Jesus. He wrote a hymn ‘Amazing Grace’ which captured what had happened to him that night. And on the wall of his study he had these words: “Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the LORD your God redeemed you.” (Deuteronomy 15:15)
He didn’t forget again. Just before he died he said: “My memory is failing me, but two things I shall never forget: I was a great sinner, and Jesus Christ is a great Saviour.”
May we like John Newton put our trust in the Lord Jesus and never forget all that He has done for us!