Key moments
“Watch out! Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen. Do not let these memories escape from your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren.” Deuteronomy 4:9
In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses was preparing the people of Israel for their entry into the promised land. What they were about to experience was something entirely different from the many years they had spent in the wilderness. They would be able to settle down and enjoy food and drink. It would be a land truly flowing with milk and honey. But they would also face enormous obstacles. The people who lived in Canaan were not going to welcome them with open arms. Moses sought to equip them for this experience and, at the heart of his message, was their need to remember their history. They had incredible experiences of God’s provision in the 40 years since they left Egypt, and they needed to keep reminding themselves of all that he had done. More than that, they needed to tell their children and grandchildren about it, too.
It’s interesting how often the Bible addresses the issue of forgetting. It clearly isn’t a new problem! Moses could foresee that people would quickly get involved in their new way of life in the promised land, and the memory of the wilderness years would be lost. So he took careful steps to ensure they kept remembering all that God had done.
We may often find ourselves in exactly the same place. Life is so full and challenging that it is the easiest thing in the world to forget how God has blessed us. The best answer to this is to keep sharing our testimony, and listening to the testimonies of others. We have all experienced times of sadness, bereavement, success and new birth. Through all of this, God has been faithful to us and given us the strength to carry on. We strengthen one another by sharing what God has done.
QUESTION
What have been some of the key moments in your Christian life that you need to keep remembering?
PRAYER
Lord God, thank you for all the ways in which you have blessed my life. May I never forget the ways in which you have strengthened me. Amen