How Soon We Forget

“They soon forgot his many acts of kindness to them.” Ps 106:7 NLT

The story of the Israelites is a lot like our own story. God blesses us, and then we forget Him—not totally, just until we get into the next mess. Then we call for His help again and He intervenes on our behalf. Now, you would think we’d see the light, change our ways and give God His rightful place in our lives. But often we don’t. We just repeat the pattern, keeping God in the basement like a janitor, calling on Him when we’ve another mess to clean up. The Israelites were no different. “He rescued them from their enemies and redeemed them from their foes…Then his people believed his promises. Then they sang his praise. Yet how quickly they forgot what he had done! They wouldn’t wait for his counsel! In the wilderness their desires ran wild, testing God’s patience” (vv.10-14 NLT). Someone has said, “We’re not slow learners, we’re just quick forgetters.” Why do we forget God so easily? Busyness. We don’t take time to read His Word and pray. Compartmentalization. We keep God in a Sunday morning slot, or a brief devotional time. Selfishness. “Their desires ran wild, testing God’s patience.” We refuse to govern our minds by the principles of Scripture. Realizing his tendency to forget God, the Psalmist wrote: “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing…I will praise the Lord who counsels me…I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices” (Ps 16:2, 7-9 NIV).

Share