“But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey His commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today.”-Deuteronomy 8:11
Unfortunately, it’s not all that uncommon for me to misplace things and forget where I put them. I’ve been known to do this with my phone, keys, reading glasses, etc. I get distracted with something, set down whatever it may be, and then suddenly I can’t remember what I did with it. I feel a little better that my wife does the same thing...kind of. I joke with her about the one thing she semi-frequently misplaces: It has become something we both laugh about each time she asks the question, “Where’s my Chapstick?!” What is it for you? Is there something you readily, regularly forget about and can’t remember what you did with it? It’s alright, and even healthy, to laugh at ourselves when we forget little things. But there is one thing that should be taken very seriously and always remembered.
In Deuteronomy 8, we read about the Israelites being warned and encouraged to remember God. The whole chapter emphasizes, in a variety of ways, to not forget God, to remember the Lord! They were instructed to keep in mind all He had done, to recall who He is, and to recollect His statutes. Let’s reread Deuteronomy 8:11 which says, “But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey His commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today.” Furthermore, just a short time later in Deuteronomy 8:18, we read, “Remember the Lord your God. He is the One who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant He confirmed to your ancestors with an oath.” It’s super clear that God understood how readily the Israelites could and would forget The One who should never be forgotten. He knew that the Israelites, if they weren’t vigilant, would far too easily fail to remember God’s wise, helpful, and truthful commands that were given to them for their good. So God had Moses remind them a plethora of times and in a multitude of ways in Deuteronomy 8 to remember, to not forget God and His decrees. Sadly, the Israelites often did quickly forget about the Lord and His ways. Truth be told, we are not so different from them.
We all need frequent reminders about God and His truth! Peter, led by the Holy Spirit, said this in 2 Peter 1:12-13: “Therefore, I will always remind you about these things—even though you already know them and are standing firm in the truth you have been taught. And it is only right that I should keep on reminding you as long as long as I live.” Peter was led by God to remind every Christ follower to remember God and His truth! So let’s be reminded afresh today that God is God! May we be reminded that we belong to God, that He has guided us and provided for us. And we need His instructions! Who else knows all things? No one! May we remember to remember that God is who we need, every moment. He is above all things. He is The Hero and Helper we all long for. May we not forget.
Lord, we acknowledge that You and You alone are God. Help us remember. Forgive us for being so forgetful of You. We surrender to You and Your ways. Guide us each second! In Jesus’ name, amen.
Cheer up, friends!
-Scott