The Power of Forgetfulness

The power of forgetfulness...

Take Joshua for example. He led the Israelites to victory in the Promised Land. What wonderful miracles God performed on behalf of His people when, by His mighty hand, He conquered their enemies and gave them a land “flowing with milk and honey.” After Joshua died, a “generation grew up who did not acknowledge the Lord or remember the mighty things He had done for Israel.”

In fact, the Old Testament recounts story after story of the kings of Israel and Judah who left the God of the covenant.

What happened?

They forgot. Forgetfulness is that powerful.

God knew mankind’s tendency to forget. Before His chosen people even entered the Promised Land, God warned them not to forget.

“Impress them (His commandments) on your children.” He said. “Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”(Deut. 6:7-9; 11:18-20). He commanded them to tell their children about Him and His decrees—to weave the words into their daily lives.

God even predicted that after a few years of comfortable living, they would be tempted to forget the hundreds of years of relying on God for their very existence.

“When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.” Deuteronomy 8:10-14

One generation. Boom. The covenant was broken.

What happened?

Parents forgot to tell their children.

When parents forgot to tell their children the mighty works of God, they themselves forgot what He had done for them.

When God’s people forgot what He had done for them, they stopped obeying Him. They turned to other things for their security. They forgot to obey.

When they forgot to obey God, they forgot to look to Him when faced with troubles.

Generations of forgetfulness passed and by the time Jesus walked among the people of God, they had no anchor, no direction. God’s people had forgotten so many things and replaced God in so many ways.

No wonder Jesus had compassion on the people. “They were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36; Mark 6:34)

Is it the same for you and me today? Of course! We have that same forgetful tendency that the Israelites had.

Take me for example. Right now I live in an easy place. I live on a tropical island with all the culture and quaintness I could want, but with the medical care and modern facilities practically at my fingertips. What’s not to love about the place I live? In seasons like this, it is easy for me to forget those many years of “wilderness days” when God was literally my only hope. Is it wrong to be here? No. So how do I fight forgetfulness? By recounting the mighty works of God.

Remembering is just as powerful as forgetting. When I recount the mighty deeds of God, I remember all He has done for us. When I remember all He has done for us, I want to obey Him. When I obey God, I look only to Him when I face impossible situations.

David, when confronted with problems beyond his ability to conquer, recalled the mighty deeds of God (Psalm 77) and that’s where He found strength.

The same strength is available for us today. We serve a mighty God. Let’s not forget the mighty things He has done. His works are to be shared with next generation. Let’s be the generation that pointed others to God. It only takes one generation to forget. Let’s be the generation that remembers.