Lest We Forget
Jul 18 2023 - Eric Buresh
You know that thought you sometimes get when you are just leisurely reading through a Bible passage, and, then, suddenly, your mind says, wait a minute, He’s talking to me! You pause, you go back, read it again . . . sure enough, He’s talking to me. That happened this morning, and actually, I think He was talking to us – the Grace family -- so I’ll share it.
The passage was Deuteronomy 6. An amazing passage! God is speaking directly to His people through Moses. It is in this passage that God first delivers the Greatest Commandment – “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” (vs 5). But the passage that made me pause, slightly edited for readability and focus, was this:
“So it shall be, when the Lord your God . . . give[s] you large and beautiful cities which you did not build, houses full of all good things, which you did not fill, hewn-out wells which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant—when you have eaten and are full— then beware, lest you forget the Lord.” (vs. 10-12)
Doesn’t that describe us? God has given us large and beautiful cities. No pot-holes. Many roads big enough to support a 45 MPH speed limit (which is big for me personally =)). Green grass on every median, well-groomed and manicured. Tons of great restaurants, activities, schools, a huge hospital every few miles. Local churches dotting the landscape. It’s a nice place. For most of us, we live in nice houses filled with lots of good things we enjoy. Our televisions should be measured in feet rather than inches. Our décor would, in times past, have been reserved for the fanciest of establishments. We certainly have plenty to drink and eat, which in turn necessitates many other services to help us offset the effects of consuming the fruits of the vineyards and olive trees God has given us. In three words, we are prosperous!
And the prosperity that comes from God also comes with God’s warning: “beware, lest you forget the Lord.” Why is it so easy to forget God in our prosperity? Three more words: LACK OF DEPENDENCE. At the root of faith, is dependence. I often refer to faith as dependent belief. It’s the very heart of the Gospel. Recognition that I’m in real trouble from my own sin, I can’t help myself at all, but by belief, I depend entirely on Jesus Christ. The life of faith after salvation is no different. I’m still helpless in every way and, by belief in God’s faithfulness and promises, I depend entirely on Him. Prosperity eats away at this dependence and, in turn, our faith.
In Deuteronomy 6, God also gives us the remedy to our prosperity-induced forgetfulness: “[T]hese words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” (vs. 6-9)
This is how we avoid forgetting who we are (infinitely helpless) and who God is (the infinite Provider):
- We put His Word in our heart (memorize it).
- We teach our children if the Lord has blessed us with them.
- We talk about the Word with our house guests.
- We talk about the Word while we walk with others (or listen to it while we walk alone).
- We talk about the Word as we’re going to bed.
- We talk about the Word as soon as we get up.
- We keep the Bible close by us at all times for easy access.
- We place reminders of the Word in places where we will see them.
In summary, we saturate our lives from dawn to dusk with the Word. Does that seem outrageous or unrealistic? If so, consider whether you may be succumbing to the effects of your prosperity. Perhaps you don’t feel your dependence on God much anymore. Maybe your desperation for the Lord’s mercy, grace, and provision has waned. Possibly you think you are strong enough on your own. Have you forgotten the Lord?