Take Care to Remember
March 11
Read Deuteronomy 4:9 (ESV)
Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children.
Reflect
Are you prone to forgetting what God has done for you? What helps you remember?
What do you do to help you remember everything you have to keep track of each day? A friend of mine says “hat, keys, phone, wallet” and pats them all to ensure they are on his head or in his pockets before he leaves for work each day. His wife says it looks like he is doing some kind of strange dance every morning on his way out of the door. But he says he hasn’t forgotten anything in a long time so it must work for him!
Maybe you also recite a list in your head of things you need to recall. Maybe you write them down or set reminders and alarms on your phone. No matter what their method of choice, when people have important things to remember, they rarely leave it up to their own brains to remember unassisted. Why? We are forgetful people!
In today’s verse, Moses reminded the Israelites to remember all that they had seen God do for them. They had just finished 40 years of wandering in the desert and were poised to finally take control of the Promised Land. The entire book of Deuteronomy is dedicated to reviewing the Law and reminding the Israelites of how God wants them to live. Moses goes to great lengths to remind the Israelites that they need to be diligent to remember everything that God has done for them and what He has taught them.
Why was it so important for the Israelites to remember God what God had commanded them? Because the covenant between God and the Israelites was conditional—it was based on obedience. If they wanted God’s blessings, they needed to keep His commandments. In order to keep His commandments, they had to remember them. Also, if they forgot the many miracles that God had done for them, they would not have the faith they needed to move forward in the future.
It was especially critical for them to pass the story down to the future generations. Moses knew that if parents were not intentional in passing their faith down to their children, they would eventually become a generation that didn’t know God. And of course, that is exactly what happened to them.
Friends, our God is too important to forget! We need to take intentional steps to remember everything that He has commanded and everything He has done for us. So read His Word daily, record the things that He has done for you, memorize Scripture, sing the songs of the faith, and teach them to your children and grandchildren! Take care to do whatever it takes to keep God’s Word from departing from your heart and the hearts of future generations.
Pray
God, You have been so good to me. I want to remember and share with others all the ways that You have been faithful to provide and care for me. Remind me when I forget, Lord. Keep drawing my mind back to You. Amen.
~ Pastor Nat Crawford
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