THE PROBLEM OF FORGETTING
David said, “Praise the Lord, I tell myself, and never forget
the good things He does for me.” (Ps 103:2)
David told himself to never forget the good things God has
done. We also must make up our minds to never forget
God’s goodness in our lives.
As I was reading through the book of Psalms, I began to
note all the times forgetting was mentioned (chapters 78,
103, 106, 137). Psalm 107 says when we forget it “tests
God’s patience, frustrates the Holy One of Israel, and
makes God’s anger rise.” That had my attention! At the end
of my study, I was convinced that forgetting God’s
goodness is a sin. Here are some reasons why:
1. Forgetting leads to unbelief, then rebellion. Even
though the children of Israel had just witnessed the
miraculous 10 plagues of Egypt and escaped 400
years of slavery, they “soon forgot his many acts of
kindness to them. Instead, they rebelled against Him at
the Red Sea.” (Ps.106:7) Immediately following their
Red Sea miracle, they lost hope when there was no
water source. Repeatedly, the children of Israel forgot
the miracles God had just done for them, and they
grumbled, wanted to turn back, and demanded new
leadership.
2. Forgetting makes us do foolish things. At Mt. Sinai, the
people got tired of waiting for Moses and “traded their
glorious God for a statue of a grass-eating ox!” (Ps.
106:20) How quickly the people forgot what God had
done! Forgetting causes us to get impatient and not
wait on His direction. (Ps. 106:13) Impatient people do
stupid things.
3. Forgetting ignites God’s anger. They forgot God, their
Savior, who had done such great things, such
wonderful things ... such awesome deeds, so "He
declared He would destroy them.” (Ps. 106:21-
23) Thankfully, Moses stepped in time after time and
saved the people from God’s wrath.
All of us can say that God has done great, wonderful, and
awesome things in our life. But when the next trial or test
comes, are we quick to remember what God has done or do
we worry and fret about the future?
Practical Solutions
The 2 R’s- Record and Remember
1. Record- Journal your journey with God.
2. Remember- Reflect daily on answered prayer and go
back and reread your recorded miracles along the
way.
Don’t think of journaling as keeping a diary. Just have a
notepad handy when you read your Bible each day, and
when God highlights a Scripture to you, copy it into your
notepad/journal. Maybe that Scripture applies to something
you’ve been praying for such as a job or a financial need.
Write the prayer request next to the verse. Over time, go
back over your journal and continue to claim those verses in
prayer. When the answer comes, go back and record the
date.
Memorize the verses that God gives you during specific
situations or seasons of life. David said, “I will study your
commandments and reflect on your ways. I will delight in
your principles and not forget your Word.” If you’re not
great at memorizing, then post them all over your usual
places—bathroom mirror, refrigerator, and computer
desktop.
In addition, if you receive a prophecy over your life from a
trusted source, write it down. Prophecies can encourage us
to keep pressing toward the vision, even when everything
we see around us seems to scream otherwise. Habakkuk
2:1-4 reminds us to write down the vision and believe that
even if the answer is delayed it will be fulfilled.
My journals are full of answered prayer. I write the word
“Done” and the date the answer came next to my
prayers. My faith grows daily in God’s word because I have
a record of my God’s activity in my life!
Unfortunately, I still forget to follow my own advice. Last
summer, my family and I moved from the West coast to the
East coast. We spent two weeks driving five of us and a dog
across the country, enjoying special sites and special
friends along the way. Leaving the Grand Canyon and
Arizona, I drove the small car while my husband drove the
kids in our SUV. For the first time on the trip, I was alone. I
didn’t even turn the radio on. As I marveled at the gorgeous
scenery driving into New Mexico, God began revealing to
me incredible aspects of his character. Over the next hour, I
could have preached the sermon of sermons! I had insight
into the Word of God that I’d never had before. I knew that
at our next stop, I needed to write down everything the Holy
Spirit had shown me.
But I didn’t. I forgot. And to this day, I can’t remember
anything that God illuminated to me during the drive. How
foolish of me! Just like David, I too pray that I never again
forget God’s goodness.
Spend time each day reflecting on God’s goodness. God
wants us to pay attention! He is always active in our lives,
but we fail to notice. Just like David, make up your mind to
remember God’s daily supernatural intervention in your life.
Make up your mind to never forget.