Remembering The Faithful

“Good people pass away; the godly often die before their time. But no one seems to care or wonder why. No one seems to understand that God is protecting them from the evil to come. For those who follow godly paths will rest in peace when they die.” - Isaiah 57:1-2 
 
One thing we don’t do enough, whether it be believers or nonbelievers, is spend time remembering those who died. Now, this can be a sensitive subject, I understand. And it is not as though we completely forget them and disregard them when they pass away.

We have a showing of their body, followed by a ceremony honoring their lives. But then what? After the ceremony, how much time is spent remembering the impact these people had on our lives? Now, for close relatives, this might be easier. That person left such a huge gap in your life, so you think of them constantly.
 
But what about those you weren’t necessarily around every day but still touched your life in an impactful way? That is exactly what Isaiah 57 is telling us. That is how this chapter opens. It opens with God through the prophet telling us to take time to remember the faithful.

The first two verses say, “Good people pass away; the godly often die before their time. But no one seems to care or wonder why. No one seems to understand that God is protecting them from the evil to come. For those who follow godly paths will rest in peace when they die.”
 
He is concerned that in the rush to move forward after the conquest of the Babylonians, no one seems to care about the believers that were lost. “No one takes it to heart,” or “No one understands,” other translations say.

He does not want them to be so caught up in moving forward without remembering the righteous, the good people in their community. What about you? Do you take time to remember those who made an impact on your life? When is the last time you thanked God that even though they are not with you now, you are thankful for the time you had with them?
 
If it’s been a while, I want you to thank God today for the people He has put in your life. Both those still with you, and those who have passed. Recall the impact they had on your life and thank Him for the time you had with those people. You were blessed to have them in your life, never forget that!