Don't Forget

April 3

Deuteronomy 4

Psalm 40:1-5

Proverbs 10:6-8

Luke 6:1-26

Don’t Forget

“Only be careful and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live.  Teach them to your children and to their children after them.”  Deuteronomy 4:9 NIV

Moses is giving the Israelites the secret to overcoming fear and standing against Satan’s attacks.  “Be careful, don’t forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart.”  Focus on God.  If we are reminding ourselves of the faithfulness of God and everything we have seen Him do in our lives and in the lives of others, we will not faint.  We will not grow weary.  We will be able to stand firm against the lies that Satan hurls at us.  Remembrance is a theme we see throughout scripture.  We are constantly told to remember what God has done for us and to tell others.  It is true that we should remember so we can give Him the praise and thanksgiving that He deserves.  That is very important and should not be neglected, but there is another reason as well.  Remembering increases our faith.  We have very short memories.  When we are in a crisis or a struggle we wonder if God will help us.  God delivered the children of Israel from one crisis after another and yet the next time they found themselves in a difficulty they became anxious, fearful, and worried that He wouldn’t come through for them again.  Moses had to remind them repeatedly of all the things God had done for them.  Here he is telling them they do not need to forget what they have seen.  He is also telling them to tell their children and grandchildren about God’s faithfulness. 

My husband and I have a memorial box in our house.  It is a shadow box that hangs on our wall that contains small tokens, pictures, symbols that remind us of the things God has done for us and the times He has acted in unequivocal ways in our lives.  Unless you know the stories behind each thing in the box, it looks like a random hodgepodge of unrelated things.  It reminds us of God’s faithfulness, but it also gives us the opportunity to share those stories of God’s faithfulness with our children and with others who visit in our home.  It has been a tremendous source of blessing to us, and an avenue to share our testimony with others.  I encourage you to do something to remind you of God’s faithfulness in your life.