“...then take care lest you forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” (Deut. 6.12)

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We live in a world that has forgotten our Creator. No wonder He forewarned us not to forget about Him (Deut. 6.10-19). While there are several reasons for this, consider the following two scenarios.

Scenario #1: Dinner must be cooked, the baby is screaming, kids have homework and practice, dad is grumpy from a long day at work. Everyone is tired. Everyone is ready to stop for the day. Sometimes it is never-ending. It’s time to relax.

Scenario #2: Life is great – no complaints. Everything is working in our favor. A recent promotion at work means big bucks, which is going to make life even easier.

Surely we can see how easy it is to forget about God in these two scenarios. We are either too busy or too blessed or both.

Fortunately, there are things in the Christian’s life that help keep God on our minds. A few of these things include the local church, the Lord’s Supper, our brethren, the Bible, the creation around us, and even pain and suffering.

Just imagine if our life was not full of pain, suffering, and affliction. Remember scenario #2? Would we ever look to God? Oftentimes wealth and an abundance of blessings harden our hearts (Matt. 19.16-26) where we cannot love God with all our heart (Matt. 22.37). David said, “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word” (Psalm 119.67). Solomon wrote, “Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die: Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God” (Prov. 30.7-9). See also Deut. 8.11-14. Like them, we too can forget what God has done for us.

Interestingly, when we forget God, especially as His children, we are testing Him. Read Deut. 6.16. How did the Israelites tempt God? By forgetting what the Lord had done for them and then requiring Him to prove His care for them! Read Exo. 17.1-7. After all God had accomplished they asked, “Is the Lord among us or not?” Additionally, when we forget God, we slowly but surely begin to neglect His commandments (Deut. 6.17; cf. 4.23; 8.11, 19). This causes us to go astray and practice all kinds of unrighteousness (see Romans 1). How often do we imitate these people? No wonder our Father is provoked with us at times.

Have you forgotten your Creator? When life is busy eliminate the unnecessary things that hinder our minds from focusing on God. When we are abundantly blessed look to God for thanksgiving. When we are suffering look to God for deliverance.

"Take care, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God, which he made with you, and make a carved image, the form of anything that the Lord your God has forbidden you." (Deuteronomy 4.23, ESV)¹

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¹As time goes by we often tend to forget the past. This includes important details, events, conversations, people, instructions, etc. No wonder our Creator deemed it necessary to remind us of His instructions. In our text, God's people were to remember the covenant they made with their Lord. One of the ways God helped His people was by instituting memorials (Exo. 12, etc.); just as we have the Lord's Supper today, as a memorial of our Lord's death (1 Cor. 11.23-26). 

Interestingly, one of the purposes of the Holy Scriptures is to remind us of everything God has revealed (See Deut. 6.12; Rom. 15.15; 1 Cor. 4.17; 15.1; 2 Tim. 2.14; Titus 3.1; 2 Peter 1.12-13; Jude 5, etc.). This is not only understood in the fact that the inspired writers constantly made mention of stirring their readers' minds up by way of reminder, but that the Scriptures are to be read, studied, meditated upon, and read again; especially by us today.

If we do not continue steadfastly in God's word we can be sure we will forget His will for our lives. Moses recorded for the Israelites' memory, “Take care lest you forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today..." (Deut. 8.11).

God has done His part by preserving His word for us today. Will we do our part by remembering it (James 1.21-25)? If you want to learn more about God's word e-mail Bryan Garlock or text 903.308.4905.