“Let all that I am praise the LORD; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things he does for me” Psalm 103:1-2 (NLT)
I have noticed that as I age, I struggle to remember where I’ve left things, like my glasses or my smartphone. Though annoying, this type of forgetfulness pales in comparison to a much more serious kind of forgetfulness.
Lately, I have been reading through the book of Judges. Over and over, the author repeats the sad refrain, “And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. They forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth” Judges 3:7 (italics mine). This cycle of negative behavior would ultimately lead to Israel’s collapse and exile.
You and I must never allow anything into our lives that might jeopardize our walk with Christ. Whether it be circumstances, questionable beliefs, unhealthy behaviors, or simply getting caught up in the busyness of life, the ever-present challenge is that we keep ‘life’ and our postmodern culture from cluttering our minds to the extent that Christ is no longer at the forefront.
How do we avoid forgetting? We make it a point to remember. We keep choosing God. “God is not just one thing we add to the mix called life. He wants an invitation from us to permeate everything and every part of us” (Francis Chan, Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit).
Prayer: Lord, let me never forget all that you are and all that you’ve done. Permeate every part of my day, from my thoughts to my actions. May my life be all about you rather than just a part of it. In your name, Amen.