Do not forget

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. (Deut. 4:9)

Israel was a very blessed people. They were chosen by God. They were saved from the depths of slavery. They were shown awesome miracles. They were allowed to make a covenant with a powerful God who loved them and pursued them. Sometimes I feel jealous of the personal attention God lavished upon them.

And then to top it all off, they forgot!

When things got tough, they forgot. When times got comfortable, they forgot. Just because time was passing, they forgot.


Seriously, how do you forget spectacular plagues, and walls of water, and walls tumbling down?

But they forgot.


As we all do.


The above passage was directed to Israel to remind them of their relationship with God. Their duty; their loyalty. Remember all God has done for you, and remember to LOVE Him.

God knows how weak we are. This is why He so often reminds us.

It's so easy to forget.

It's easy for me to forget all the wonderful things that have been done for me, or said to me by my close friends. The longer I know them, the more I forget. The more I take for granted, and the less I treat them with deliberate love and respect. "The closer things are, the harder they are to see..."

It's easy for me to listen to negative things, to see the discouraging parts of life, Forgetting all I have have done and come through.


It's easy to look ahead, and see the long, rough road, and give up hope.


So very very easy.


So God reminds us. Do not forget. Write on your hearts the things you have seen and heard. Keep them alive there. Re-live them over and over. They will strengthen and sustain you.

This applies of course to our relationship with God. The first commandment is to Love God with all your heart and all your soul and all your strength.

But the second is Love others as yourself.

This applies to our relationships with others as well. When you forget why you are friends, or why you love someone, it is easy to hurt them, take them for granted.

Remember.

And with Remembering returns Love.


And did you notice? I just did now. God said love others as you love yourself. We aren't supposed to hate ourselves either. God loves us. We can love ourselves too. We can remember the times we were loved and the times we loved. We can love who we are, because God loves who we are.


Today I am remembering old relationships. Why I love these people. All they have done for me. I want to appreciate them for their love for me and others. And I want to restore the places were we have been broken.

I'm not so good at this love thing. But I do know one thing:

One important thing I need to do is: Don't forget.

Who God is.

Who I am.

And who they are.

We are....

Loved.