Forget Me Not - Part 1

 

A running joke in my household is any sentence that begins with, "Hey Mom, do you remember.....oh, never mind." Once my family tries to walk down memory lane with me, they often find out that they've lost me before the first bend in the road. That's when I get the pathetic head-shake from said husband or offspring as they move to the next topic. Yea... my memory's shot.

The Nation of Israel had a memory problem, too. A "God-memory" problem. In mulling over the plethora of passages where God, Himself, admonishes Israel not to forget Him, I realize how central the issue of "God-memory" is to one's ability to live faithfully before Him. 

I can feel God's yearning heart as He pleads with wanton Israel to remember their special love covenant. I remember how faithful you were to me when you were young. You loved me as if you were my bride - Jeremiah 2:2  [She]  went after her lovers; But Me she forgot - Hosea 2:13  You have forgotten God your Savior - Isaiah 17:10 You forgot the God who gave you birth - Deuteronomy 32:18  

It actually hurts God's feelings when we live life as though He isn't the very source of that life.

I can feel His hurt through the book of Hosea. I will never forget that two month period of time decades ago where He led me through that book, showing me His Hosea heart towards my Gomer. "She has not acknowledged that I was the one who gave her the grain, the new wine and oil, who lavished on her the silver and gold.."  Hosea 2:8 

In pondering this I am reminded of the image of a child holding his parent's hand while crossing the street. Now, who is really holding whom? While the child may believe that their anxious grip of tiny fingers is keeping them tethered to their parent, we grown-ups know it's the other way around. God is also reminding us that our salvation and our keeping are never dependent on our lame abilities to remember Him but, thankfully, on His commitment to never forget us!

Isaiah 49:15 (NIV) “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!

It's in God's not forgetting that we get nudged by His Holy Spirit to stop getting so distracted and to pray - to stop being so busy and to sit with Him - to stop being so darn proud and to humbly admit our helplessness before him. It is He who reminds our Spirit that we miss Him!  It's God's merciful remembrance of us that allows us to periodically crash and burn when we get too independent and forget Him. He can't get us off His mind!

Oh Lord, thank you for remembering me. For gently chastising me in my mental malaise even as your heart breaks over it. Continue to remind me to remember You!

On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.
Because you are my help,

    I sing in the shadow of your wings.
I cling to you;

    your right hand upholds me.

Psalm 63: 6-8