Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.
Deuteronomy 4:9
We read in Judges 2:8-15 that it only took one generation after the Israelites crossed the Jordan River for the people to forget what the Lord had done for them. It is no wonder that the Israelites had to be reminded over and over again of God’s laws and His faithfulness. The ease with which the Israelites forgot God’s faithfulness emphasizes to us the importance of remembering God’s faithfulness. One way to remember what God has done is to continue to thank and praise Him. Tell your children what He has done.
A grateful heart is a sure remedy for remembering what God has done and for building up our faith. We must face the fact that it is also easy for us to move away from God’s precepts and from recognizing and remembering His faithfulness. We are like sheep, prone to wander away from our Shepherd, and we must be diligent to remember the things that our eyes have seen (v.9).
Keep a daily journal of the ways that God has answered your prayers.
When you are prone to wander, read through your entries. The Israelites witnessed an awesome miracle when the Jordan River was parted at flood tide, enabling them to pass through into the Promised Land. It is hard to believe that it only took one generation for them to forget what He had done.
Today begin your journal of “remembrance.” Teach your children to remember what God does daily, and thank the Lord for all He has done.
Heavenly Father,
I am prone to wander, and like the Israelites I am prone to complain and forget all that You have done for me. Help me to have a grateful heart – a heart that worships and praises You daily – for You are an awesome and faithful God.
In Jesus’ name, Amen
