I occasionally hear this phrase. Whilst I might baulk at the use of ‘forgetting’ in relation to God, there is a powerful truth here.

The writer to the Hebrews, quoting the prophet Jeremiah, promises that God will remember their sins no more. This is not mere divine carelessness, were there such a thing! This is the wonderful promise that God will deal with our sins so comprehensively that they cannot and will not be recalled. The hymn goes:

Oh, wonder of all wonders,
That through Thy death for me,
My open sins, my secret sins,
Can all forgiven be.

The glorious miracle of Christ’s death and resurrection means that our sins are put away, dealt with, buried, gone forever.

That we have received forgiveness motivates us and inspires us to forgive others. Christ Himself explained this in Matt 18.21-35, the parable of the unforgiving servant. The sum of money forgiven is impossibly huge, a deliberate hyperbole, to communicate the truth and power and reality of divine forgiveness. How foolish for one forgiven so much to hold any claim over another.

The apostle Paul takes a different angle; “Love keeps no record of wrongs” (1 Cor 13.5). Jesus Christ manifested this love towards those around Him. He never referred to past wrongs; never recalled them as an embarrassment; never recalled a past sin to gain advantage over another.

This is a simple command. But it is not easy. We feel vulnerable when we are unable to gain advantage over someone else. We like to feel in control of our situations. True love, motivated by real faith, enables us to ‘forgive and forget,’ choosing not to recall past wrongs, confident in our own forgiveness, and able to leave our lives truly in God’s hands.

“I will not accuse for ever, nor will I always be angry, for then the spirit of man would grow faint before me – the breath of man that I have created” (Is 57.16).

In context, God is referring to the nation of Israel. He will not and would not remain angry with them forever. Ultimately, they are mere humans, and subject to human frailty. The heart of God is always compassionate, and we have confidence that He is unchanging.

We know that we are made of dust (Ps 103.14). And God Himself knows this too.

God is powerful beyond our understanding, yet He deals with gentle-ness and kindness, compassion and mercy.

Knowing the frailty of man, there is a further lesson here. That is how we treat others.

I have met people who have lived with constant criticism and condemnation. Their spirits are broken; their perception of the world around them is distorted, they often struggle to develop healthy relationships with others.

In a world where criticism seems to come all too easily, we must learn a better way. Bring criticism sparingly; bring criticism in a context of love and acceptance. Bring criticism which provides an opportunity to put matters right.

When the Lord Jesus criticised the Twelve, He did so in a contact of love and acceptance. In fact, He makes no criticism of them at all until the “get behind me Satan” incident recorded in Matthew 16.  By any estimate they had been friends for at least a year. By this time, their friendship was strong enough to include strong criticism. Jesus had no fear that the Twelve would go away (John 6.67).

The conclusion of Job’s interaction with his three friends. A discussion that covers chapters 3-31, lasting perhaps several days, with a growing number of people observing and listening.

Job ends with a series of self-imprecations; “if I have done this, may God curse me.” This is a form of prayer used elsewhere in the OT (e.g: 1 Sam 12.1-4).

The chapter has a small section in parenthesis (v35-37); “Oh, that I had someone to hear me! … like a prince I would approach him.” Job bemoans God’s apparent silence.

And then a comment about crops and weeds.

And then silence.

It is as if Job is interrupted. Perhaps he had more to say but decided not to. ‘I have said enough. Lord, your turn!’

Earlier Job described huge changes in his life. “How I long for months gone by” (29.1) when he was highly respect in his community (29.7-25). His suffering brought unpleasant change – “now they mock me” (30.1) “Now their sons mock me in song” (30.9).

Life can be like that. An abrupt change of direction. Plans altered by an expected event. A new direction but someone else seems to decide that direction for us.

Yet God is in this. He is in the old season. And He is in the new season. Job is clear – everything, whether seemingly good or bad, is from God. If we think that there is another source, a different origin, then that does not help. Who can we pray to if life is simply a series of random events?

Our ultimate confidence is in God who is truly Sovereign.