I am a big elephant fan. (And no, I'm not talking bout my stature here!)
I have always been fascinated how unique God made these gentle giants. Their family structure, anatomy, senses, etc. Joyce Poole quote in 'The Fate Of The Elephant' - "Whether sad, angry, distressed, eager or playful, elephants are this in a big way..." It always touches me how emotional and feeling the Lord made them. They cry and laugh like we humans do, play with one another, have greeting ceremonies for a long-lost friend, and grieve at the loss of a still-born baby or the death of friends and family members. They know how to comfort, caress and love.
I hate it that due to the enormous size and strength of elephants, most circus trainers rely on chains and fear to make them obey. I read, with tears in my eyes, that typically the process begins with an elephant being beaten into submission at a very young age...and many of such circus elephants spending a great deal of their lives in chains and martingales (chains that run from tusks to feet). As a result of the stresses of confinement and disease, they die prematurely.
Anyway, before I side-track, I remembered the elephants today, because 2 days ago, the Lord brought to me, in my distresses and faithlessness, a verse from Psalm 103: 2 - "Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.." Was meditating upon that verse for the past 2 days... and this morning, while digging into a bowl of nuts, raisins and oats at the breakfast table, I had this random thought:
Now if only I had the memory of an elephant!
...then I'd never be driven to fear, doubt, faithlessness, labouring in vain, looking to worldly benefits, storing up for myself earthly treasures, etc.
But face the fact, I'll never be an elephant. And therefore I'm prone to forget... So thankful I am that the Lord never fails to remind me in my weaknesses, His love, kindness and faithfulness - through the most amazing, unimaginable ways.
For example, my car breaking-down yesterday. While I sat in the bengkel waiting for them to finish repairing my car, I remembered the Lord and His mercy... and came to my senses - after a rough, emotional Wednesday.
What comfort and encouragement it is to me then, that the Lord's ways are far higher than the ways of a man - that He never forgets or forsakes any of those whom He's made! Or His promises. Or our sufferings. Or our weaknesses. Indeed He brings to completion all the good works He's begun in us!
The only thing He does forget... our transgressions after He's removed them (verse 12). He says in Isaiah 43:25 - 'I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.' This is what is so amazing about God's grace! God, give me more of that - so that I would learn to forgive others like You forgive me.
Here's the very beautiful Psalm 103 (emphasis mine), and what God reminds us with the exhortation that deals with us as His sons and daughters (Heb 12:5), not to forget. May we remember God and praise Him with all our might!
1 Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name.2 Praise the LORD, O 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 so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
6 The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.
7 He made known His ways to Moses, His deeds to the people of Israel:
8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse, nor will He harbor his anger forever;
10 He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him;
12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him;
14 for He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field;
16 the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.
17 But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear Him, and His righteousness with their children's children-
18 with those who keep His covenant and remember to obey His precepts.
19 The LORD has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all.
20 Praise the LORD, you His angels, you mighty ones who do His bidding, who obey His word.
21 Praise the LORD, all His heavenly hosts, you His servants who do his will.
22 Praise the LORD, all his works everywhere in his dominion. Praise the LORD, O my soul.
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