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REFLECTION
The theme for our reflection is “Let us not forget” Let us not forget means to always remember an event in the past or to consider an event in the past worthy of commemoration. We shall reflect on the fact that we must not forget the salvation of the Lord but acknowledge and praise His Holy Name.

Beloved in the Lord, although the name of God is not mentioned in the Book of Esther we still see His mighty deeds in the lives of the Israelites when a three-day fasting and prayer was declared by Esther before she visited the King which culminated in the deliverance of the Jews from the wicked Haman and his allies. The mighty act of God’s salvation was not forgotten by the Israelites. “Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Xerxes, near and far, ²¹ to have them celebrate annually the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar ²² as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration. He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor…(Therefore these days were called Purim, from the word pur. ) Because of everything written in this letter and because of what they had seen and what had happened to them, ²⁷ the Jews took it on themselves to establish the custom that they and their descendants and all who join them should without fail observe these two days every year, in the way prescribed and at the time appointed. ²⁸ These days should be remembered and observed in every generation by every family, and in every province and in every city. And these days of Purim should never fail to be celebrated by the Jews—nor should the memory of these days die out among their descendants. (Esther 9:20-22,26-28). Beloved in the Lord, how often do we also remember past events that could have ended our lives or caused our sudden departure from the world but for God’s intervention and salvation. We do not forget to celebrate our birthdays, marriage anniversaries, professional development and the days our loved ones died or were buried in the past. The forgoing events are all good to remember, however, we are also being called upon to acknowledge and commemorate days that death knocked at our doors but God delivered us from death’s hands and gave us another chance to be among the living. The psalmist is encouraging us not to forget the Lord’s deliverance but to celebrate or commemorate it for people to know that we serve a mighty God when he wrote “I will not die but live but live to proclaim what the LORD has done. (Psalms 118:17).

Dear friend in the Lord, let us cultivate the habit of giving testimonies through thanksgiving celebrations in the house of God or among our family and friends by marking a yearly event of commemorating what the Lord has done in our lives to glorify His name and also encourage those who are losing hope to look up to God for their salvation or deliverance. It is for this reason David proclaimed that “Praise the LORD, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. ² Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— ³ who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, ⁴ who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, ⁵ who satisfies your desires with good things. (Psalms 103:1-5). Beloved in the Lord, when was the last time you remembered a life-saving event in your life and marked a special day to give glory to God? When was the last time you remembered and gave thanks to God for delivering you from that gory accident, sickness, surgery, robbery attack, conspiracy from your enemies and natural disaster? The psalmist again reminds us not to forget the mighty deeds of the Lord but to say, “I will declare your name to my people; in the assembly, I will praise you. (Psalms 22:22) Let us not forget our past, who we were and where we are coming from. Let us live a life of gratitude and always acknowledge the glory and power of God in our lives. Jesus emphasises the importance of not forgetting what God does for us when He said to the only man who came to show gratitude after he had been healed, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? ¹⁸ Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” ¹⁹ Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” (Luke 17:17-19) Let us not forget to show gratitude and acknowledgement to the Lord for what He has done and continue to do in our lives for we receive more blessings through our faith and act of remembrance and gratitude to God.

In summary, we have deliberated on the theme, “Let us not forget” We have underscored the point that we must develop the habit of not forgetting the pivotal or remarkable events of the Lord’s deliverance or salvation in our lives. We must commemorate them often and praise God among the living. Shalom.

PRAYER
Holy Spirit, strengthen us to live a life of gratitude to always remember the goodness of the Lord and to declare His mighty work to the world so that people will know and believe that we serve a living and miracle-working God. Amen.