Prime Times to Forget God

Read: Deuteronomy 7-8 & Psalm 53-55
“Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him and keep His commandments, to a thousand generations…” Deuteronomy 7:9

Examine:
Moses slowed the people of Israel down and took them back through their history. He brought the good, the bad and the ugly before them and encouraged them to remember the goodness of God that was revealed to them through it all.

Apply:
There are seasons of life when it is easy to forget the faithfulness of God, to not feel His unfailing love, and to become uncertain about His position of LORD God. In this passage I see three primary times when I am at risk of doing this. First, there are seasons of plenty. In the midst of God blessing the works of my hands, it is really easy to lose sight of the fact that it was God who gave me the ability to reach a comfortable place. When I have everything I need and there are no worries, I need to be really careful in ensuring that I hold on loosely to things and make sure that I remember to stay dependent on God.

It is also easy to lose sight of God under the weight of prolonged adversity. The wilderness is a dark and lonely place. If my objective ever shifts away from being close to God and instead my focus becomes centered on escaping the wilderness, then I have put myself at risk. If God’s timing for deliverance does not happen to be mine, then I will feel rejected and be tempted to fall away. My focus in wilderness times should always be on drawing near to God, finding strength for my soul, and abandoning my desires. Those things will always carry me into the heart of God.

Finally, losing sight of the LORD my God is tempting in the face of real and present dangers. Faith in God requires that I believe in things that I have never seen. This is all well and good but there are seasons of life when threats come against me that are very visible. As I calculate the odds and stare in the face of my enemies, it is really easy to forget the power of my unseen God. During these times I have to hold fast to the things that I know about God and make sure that the meditations of my heart return me to the greatness of my God.

Pray:
Whatever the seasons of life may be, the unyielding fact is that You remain the same. I am grateful for Your unchanging nature, the unbreakable covenant You made through Christ, and the steadfast love with which You pursue me. In seasons that I find my barns full, I want to keep my eyes on You and never find my security in the works of my hands. During times of walking in the wilderness, I want to purge my heart of the things that distract me from You and learn deeply of Your character and heart. When I find myself staring in the face of adversity, I want to fight knowing that it is You who gives victory and never be intimidated by what my eyes see. You are the LORD my God; my only God. I do not want to ever give glory to another. I pray that You maintain Your proper place in my heart today.