My grandfather was a brilliant aerospace engineer, but for the last 3 years of his life he was debilitated by Alzheimer’s. It was devastating to see a man once so capable get to the point where he was unable to care for himself. Eventually, we had to get him professional assistance because he was a danger to himself. Having no memory is a dangerous state of being.
What’s true for us in our physical body is also true for us spiritually. It’s dangerous to forget. That may be the reason scriptures continually call people of faith to be people of memory. The author of Deuteronomy recorded, Remember, how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years. (Deut. 8:2) While it is hard to imagine forgetting the Lord faithfully led an entire nation through the desert for 40 years, God knew that it could happen and that it would be destructive if it did.
Unfortunately, the nation of Israel didn’t heed this warning and they forgot it. Judges 2:10-11 records this dramatic turn for the worse, After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel. Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals. The same downward spiral is seen in Romans 1:21 where Paul wrote, For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.” Lack of intentional remembering is directly tied to a refusal to worship. And as we see, refusal to worship God leads us down a path that promises pleasure, but always delivers pain.
Maybe the act of recognizing and remembering God is far more significant than we often realize. Remembering God’s presence and his faithfulness is one of the greatest things you can do to fuel worship; and worship is the very thing that positions us to walk intimately with God. So today, take a few moments and remember. Remember God’s goodness to you. Take a deep breath and appreciate the fact that you’re alive. Remember God’s grace to us through Jesus. Remember and give thanks.
Ryan Paulson
Lead Pastor