Most people would think of themselves when they want to charge you not to forget. That would then read something like “Forget me not.” Indeed, if I am not mistaken, there is a flower known by that common name – forget me not. But not God. He is confident that if His children forget not all his benefits, they are sure to know the source. You see, all of God is about benefits.
Just as in us, nothing good exists, so in God, there is no evil at all. The least of His will for us is good as we see in Romans 12.2. That verse also shows that his best will for us is perfect since He is a perfect God. That is the reason he confidently points us to His benefits. They are bound to remind us of Him unless we forget what He has done for us. In case you are wondering where God charged us not to forget all his benefits, it is in Psalm 103.2.
We now consider the reason God gave us that charge. Related to that is the way the sentence is constructed. Forget not sounds imperative, just like a command. If he had said simply “remember” as He did elsewhere, it might not have had the same impact. And God needed it to have an everlasting impact because we have a tendency to forget. In our constant quest for better and better things, we forget the good that God already did.
Forget Not God’s Present Benefits
This lesson was once beautifully demonstrated by a young lady. You know how TV correspondents swarm you when you accomplish anything, right? Well, they were in her face when she came second in a global competition. How was she feeling that she did not come first? She looked straight into the camera and said she was still too busy enjoying her present position. Good for her! She chose to enjoy what she has achieved instead of setting it aside while she reached for higher goals.
Sadly, children of God often forget what God has already done as they reach for more. Are we saying we should have no further ambition? Not at all, because our God is a God of increase. That lady in front of the camera had hopes of one day coming first. But she chose not to postpone or delay her joy. Do we postpone our joy? The answer, as far as God can see, is yes. And that is why he charged us with “forget not.”
Take this blog for instance. Do we have a desire to one day have millions subscribing to it? Of course! But we choose to be thankful for the number we currently have. We choose to remember God’s empowerment to constantly write and for you who have subscribed. As we await the millions, we refuse to postpone our joy in you. Unfortunately, the body of Christ tends to forget God’s goodness. We force God to say “Forget not.”
Taking God For Granted
We take God’s goodness for granted. Married people will know more about this. A man whose wife’s cooking left a lot to be desired decided to be eating out. That is until he discovered that the food at the more affordable eateries was worse than his wife’s. He had a choice: waste money on more expensive places or return home.
It works both ways. A wife may believe her husband is not wealthy enough and start looking outside. Until she discovers that the wealthy man is also likely to be physically abusive. She scoots back home, tail between her legs. By telling us to forget not all his benefits, God is trying to prevent us from learning the hard way. The woman and the man in our examples had to learn the hard way. I pray we shall heed God’s warning rather than learn our lesson the hard way.
Don’t let us take God for granted by forgetting all he has done for us. Forget not. Write it on the tablet of your heart.
Maranatha!
