God remembers you. God remembers His promises. And God remembers His love.
But I will remember for them the covenant with their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God. I am the Lord.’”
Leviticus 26:45
Do you ever feel like maybe your memory isn’t what it used to be?
You forget the bread at the grocery store. Maybe you walk into a room and forget why you’re there?
They tell me your memory fades as you get older. I’m learning quickly.
My oldest currently is 13 years old. He’s always the one I turn to when I’m walking out the door and say, “Hey, don’t let me forget…”
His memory is better, stronger. I know the thing I should remember, but not always am I the best rememberer.
Two weeks ago in our “But God” series we spoke about how God remembered Noah.
He’s not quick to forget. This week I wanted to speak about the Israelites. When we study them, often we are quick to judge their complaining and forgetfulness.
God has made a covenant with these wayward people and God remembers it.
He says in Leviticus 26:45 that HE will remember FOR the people.
Does this make you curious?
I’m wondering, “shouldn’t God’s people be the one to remember what God told them to do?”
Shouldn’t our kids, our employees, our co-workers, our spouse remember what we asked of them?
God is so unlike us and those we share life with as well.
He doesn’t need us to remember what He has promised. He will remember.
We can’t remember on our own.
“For the land will be abandoned by them, and will make up for its sabbaths while it is made desolate without them. They, meanwhile, will be making amends for their iniquity, because they rejected My ordinances and their soul abhorred My statutes. Yet in spite of this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them, nor will I so abhor them as to destroy them, breaking My covenant with them; for I am the Lord their God.”
Leviticus 26:43-44
When life is good, and struggles are minimal, we tend to forget. But God remembers.
We forget what God brought us out of. Sometimes when things are easy-going we begin to think that God’s boundaries and rules are restrictions for us obtaining more and succeeding in our own plans.
This scripture says that the Israelites’ souls abhorred His statues. I’ve been there. I’ve wanted to forget that God’s rules, His ways and His thoughts are best.
“I don’t want to forgive that person.”
“I like my plan for my life better.”
“Having that hurting family in my home this week is just too much.”
I’ve thought all of these things and worse.
We tend to forget.
Forget his commands to: forgive, plan with His plans in mind, show hospitality.
But God remembers. He knows our chasing and striving will exhaust us and deplete our resources of time, energy and so many other things.
As a matter of fact, I’ve found in my life I get to a point that chasing my own plans gets exhausting and unfruitful. It is then when I become like the Israelites and beg God to forgive me and to remember His covenant.
So, after I repeatedly forget His goodness and His faithfulness.
God remembers.
God cannot forget His own promise.
If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.
2 Timothy 2:13
Consequently, God remembers. We forget.
It says in our Leviticus verse that God himself remembers FOR His people.
Who are you relying on today to remember the next steps for your family to take?
Who are you expecting to give you answers that big decision looming over you?
2 things for us to remember that God remembers:
- The God of the Old Testament is the same God who remembers us today.
- The God of your own past situations is the same God who remembers and has planned your future.
The same God of Noah, Abraham, Joseph and the Israelites is the same God who cannot change, deny himself or forget one of His own. He brought them out of situations their good and His glory. He can do the same for you. Find God’s character in Scripture and rest in his unwavering love for you.
The second thing is that you have to build a relationship with God in order to trust him for the future. You’ve got to have your own history with the creator of your soul. You can’t rely on your parent’s history, your pastor’s story or your best friend’s journey to be your own foundation. You need your own history with Jesus. Write down moments where you’ve seen God come through. Remember your relationship with Him and how trustworthy He was yesterday, today and forever.
What areas in your life have you seen God remember when you’ve forgotten?