“Be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt.” Deuteronomy 6:12
We all have little slips in our memory once in a while, right?
In Deuteronomy 6:12, Moses is talking to the Israelites about the danger of memory loss. God’s people were standing on the edge of the Promised Land, ready to enter a land with great cities they did not build, houses full of good things they did not fill, and vast and lush vineyards they didn’t plant. And, as good as the prospect of all this prosperity was, there was a danger lurking under the blessing. Moses knew that in good times it’s easy to forget God. The people were in danger of forgetting that it was God who had given them this land - who went before them in each battle; forgetting, in fact, that it was only through God’s gracious choice of them that they became His people. And, Gods people were in danger of forgetting God.
So the solution for Israel - and for that matter, for us - is keeping God in mind! The book of Deuteronomy is actually a memory seminar about God’s goodness to His people. Moses reminds the Israelites of the law that was given on Mount Sinai. He tracks the Israelites back over the ways God miraculously provided for them - battles won, food given, shoes that didn’t wear out - the list of God’s providing is long.
So, here’s the lesson. Beware! When God is abundantly good to us we are in great danger. We are in danger because in good times it’s easy to forget God. It’s easy to be so consumed with the gifts that we forget the Giver! And if we do that, we end up worshiping the blessings and not the One who in His amazing grace has blessed us.
Memory lapses in our daily routines may be normal for us. But remembering God’s goodness in our lives is something we can’t afford to forget!