“O generation, see ye the word of the LORD. Have I been a wilderness unto Israel? a land of darkness? wherefore say my people, We are lords; we will come no more unto thee? Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me days without number.” (Jeremiah 2:31–32, KJV)
There are times in life that we never really forget. In some of those times we even remember the clothing that we were wearing. One such time for me was when my wife and I were married in the church. I will never forget her in the gown she wore walking up the aisle. I will not forget what I was wearing. Being a newly commissioned officer in the United States Army, I had on my dress blue uniform. After the ceremony, we left under an honor guard with arched sabers. Yes, these memories were photographically etched in my mind.
The nation of Israel had forgotten the Lord. They had forgotten things that should have been etched in their minds. To this, the Lord stated, “Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me days without number.” Just as a bride would remember her attire, the people of God should have remembered their heritage. They should have remembered the journey on which the Lord had taken them. They should have remembered the many ways the Lord had provided for them. The ways that He protected and delivered them, and the battles in which He gave them miraculous victories. Yet they had forgotten.
They should have never forgotten. They had the record of such things written for them. The Scribes meticulously preserved these writings. The parents were to teach these things to their children throughout all generations. The priests were to hold to the Scriptures and explain these things to the people. The prophets came to challenge people to remember the Lord their God. Yet in time the people became hardened of heart and all of this was lost. The people had forgotten.
This problem of forgetfulness is still with us today. We often forget the place from which we came. Some who were in the depth of poverty, that worked hard and overcame will look at others with great distain who were born into such a situation as they once were.
However, we who profess Christ may also forget from where we came and how the Lord lifted us up. We often forget the miraculous ways the Lord has provided, how He has answered prayer when we were struggling. We must never forget the powerful ways the Lord has worked in our lives. It is good to reminisce about the Lord’s work in other’s lives and even better in our lives. To think back to the day we were saved is good medicine for the soul. To remember the moment, where we were, and how we felt at that moment will help us in our times of spiritual apathy. To remember the answers to prayer will do the same. Take some time to reflect on these special moments with the Lord. It will be good medicine for your soul.
Renewing the Heart 