Oh How Quickly We Forget!

Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and against Aaron in the wilderness, and the children of Israel said to them, "Of that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us our into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger." (Exodus 16:2,3 NKJV)

Collectively the children of Israel must have suffered from the worst case of short term memory loss in the history of the world. It had taken them a month to journey from Egypt to the wilderness of Sin during which time they had been recipients of four undeniable displays of God's power and provision. They had been delivered from their extremely oppressive bondage in Egypt and not just delivered, but delivered with plunder (Ex.12:36). They were led in the day by a pillar of cloud and at night by a pillar od fire to give them light (Ex.13:21). They were delivered from the hands of the Egyptians for a second time at the Red Sea which God parted for them, then allowed them pass through on dry land before returning the sea to its full depth, killing all the Egyptians (Ex. 14:21-28). They also drank from the waters of Marah after the Lord had turned the waters from bitter to sweet (Ex. 15:25). All of this, and yet, the children of Israel were complaining.

They were so consumed with fear and doubles and concerned with the things they didn't have and the things they desired that it was lost on them how much God was working on their behalf daily: blessing them daily; delivering them daily; providing for them daily. And isn't that what happens to us today?

How many of us today are infected with fear and doubt? Who among us is so blinded by things going wrong in our lives that we have lost sight of all the good God has done for us? How many of us are being held hostage by raging desires for things we want and have lost sight daily of the fact that God is taking care of all our needs. Who among us is willing to be honest with ourselves to the point where we can admit that we have spent so much time complaining about things God HASN'T done in our lives that we have all but forgotten the seas he's parted in our lives; the light with which he has guided our paths by day and by night; and the bondages we have been freed from?

If this description fits you, then I implore you this day to forget about what you think is best for your life: remove from your line of sight, all the things you desire and recall to your memory all things God has done for you. Remember those dark and desperate moments when you had no where else to turn and you called on your Lord and he answered. Remember the times when everyone else turned their backs on you but he received you with open arms. But most of all remember this, forgetting the things God has done for you will eventually lead to forgetting God altogether. Let's not be like the children of Israel; don't be so quick to forget. Stop complaining about what God hasn't done and start praising him for what he has done.

Prayer for the day: Most gracious God, when we forget how much you have done for us, remind us that you care for our every need. Help us to appreciate what we have and to learn the difference between our needs and our wants. May we pray as our Lord taught us, asking only for what we need this day. Bless us always with your presence and your love. Amen.