How easily we can joke about forgetfulness when we are not at a point in life where it presents a problem. How often I have uttered, “Oh it’s my Alzheimer’s!”, when I have forgotten to do something. But a change occurs in the way we regard that disease when someone we love & respect is diagnosed.
Alzheimer’s Disease. Dementia. Senility. Forgetfulness. All words to describe a loss of memory. A loss of ability to know & do things. A loss of awareness. So hard & so very sad to deal with. In watching a loved one with this disease today, it was so hard to watch as she forgot that we were her children, her loved ones & yet hugged & embraced a total stranger as if they were her loved one. In that forgetfulness, things get flipped. Things get turned around. Things do not make any sense at all.
God knows that it is hard & very sad to deal with forgetfulness too. He has dealt with watching those that He loves, His very own, also suffering from the disease of forgetfulness.
In looking at the concordance in my Bible, there are five times listed there where we are told, “Do not forget the Lord your God……”. It seems His chosen people – the Israelites, and us as well, have a problem with forgetfulness. This is most serious as it is God that we are forgetting. We forget WHO He is. We forget WHAT He has done. We forget what He CAN do. We forget that He is ABLE. We forget.
The antonym of forget is remember. And God is so good to not only tell us “do not forget” but to tell us what we need to “remember”.
“Remember the Sabbath Day.” Exodus 20:8
“Remember the wonders He has done, His miracles, & the judgments He pronounced.” 1 Chronicles 16:12
“Remember to extol his work.” Job 36:24
“Remember your Creator….” . Ecclesiastes 12:1
“Remember the poor.” Galatians 2:10
“Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David.” 2 Timothy 2:8
It is in the remembering that we will grow in gratitude for all that He has done for us. Our hearts will be filled with wonder, with praise to the One that we are “remembering”.
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords.
His love endures forever.
to the One who remembered us in our low estate
His love endures forever.”
Psalm 136:1-3, 23
Seems to me a funny thing – we are remembering the very One who has already remembered us! Amazing….He is thinking of us before we think of Him!!!
“Do not forget the Lord your God….”.
** I dedicate this to my loved ones who’s lives are teaching me even when they are not aware of it. Thank you! **
