“He is physically OK, but I am losing him; he does not recognize me anymore.” Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States and is the only one of the top 10 such diseases that cannot be prevented or cured. It is also one of the sicknesses most dreaded by a patient’s family. It is so sad to lose more of the patient each day and to watch him or her gradually lose memory and disappear into an isolated, confused world.
Memory is crucial to our daily life. It gives us a bearing on where we are and what we can do and say next. In giving the Israelites the Ten Commandments, God began with the words “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery” (Exodus 20:2). These words gave the people a helpful reminder to follow God and to have hope for their future in the land he had promised them.
How can we remember the Lord? Like the Israelites, we can learn and talk about God’s Word each day, write it down, and use various methods to help us remember. As the psalmist says, “Blessed is the one . . . whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night” (Psalm 1:1-2). In Christ, who fulfills God’s law and his promises for us, we can grow closer to God by treasuring his Word as a light for our pathway through life (Psalm 119:105).
Father, have mercy on all who struggle with memory loss. Help us to remember your goodness to us always. In Jesus, Amen.
About the author — Jimmy Tai-On Lin
Rev. Jimmy Lin is the Chinese ministry leader of The Back to God Hour. With his staff in Palos Heights and Hong Kong, Rev. Lin has ministered to over 1.3 billion Chinese-speaking people around the world for 16 years through radio, literature, CD/DVD, Internet, and text message. His wife, Doris, is one of the translators of Today into the Chinese language, which now has a circulation of more than 45,000 copies.
Start your day with quick daily devotions.
See God's love, power, presence, and purpose in your life every day!