In Exodus 19, God calls the Israelites to a gathering in the middle of the wilderness. He proceeds to reemphasize His covenant with them, reminding them that if they remained faithful and obedience to Him, they would always remain His special people.
Continuing His speech, God gives them ten particular guidelines for living and other instructions on how to treat others and how to worship Him. Then God calls Moses, some priests and elders to come closer to Mount Sinai. This group must worship from a set distance while Moses is invited to come near the Lord.
Moses spends 40 days and 40 nights receiving detailed information from God Himself. This private meeting continues for chapters in Exodus, but chapter 32 shows a shocking reminder of what’s happening back at the camp.
The Israelites found that Moses was taking too long to return, and they were getting antsy. They requested that Aaron, the high priest, make them some gods to lead them since Moses seems to have vanished from his post.
This is quite the disconnect. While Moses is with God, receiving worship and tabernacle specifics, the people who are supposed to be worshiping have forgotten that they were in the presence of God. They forgot about hearing God’s voice only days earlier. They forgot about the agreement they made uphold the end of the covenant.
They forgot about the plagues and the great display of God’s splendor. They forgot that God made a dry piece of road for them to walk across a sea. They forgot how God provided food daily, even their meat cravings, as they had requested in their complaints.
They forgot.
Truth be told, there are times I forget too. I forget how God has shown up before I’ve called, during my call, and after my call. I forget that He not only answers my prayers but often outdoes the piddly images my limited mind can fantasize.
I forget that God is constantly at work, even when I cannot see tangible results.
When I forget, my spirituality is compromised. My prayers change. My personal time with God is affected. My view of God’s ability shifts because I forget to remember Who He Is and what He is capable of.
Do you forget, too?
Let’s work at forgetting less and remembering more. Write down the ways that God continually shows up and shows out for us. Make notes in our Bibles, on paper, or a notetaking app on our favorite devices of answered prayers. Remember to look back at them regularly. The more we struggle through a trial, the more we need to remember Who God Is.
Don’t forget to remember.
__________
Written by Sabrina Jacques-Rowe
Communication Leader
Henderson Highway Church