Short Memories of God’s Goodness

            One of the more interesting aspects of being human is that we do not remember every aspect of our lives. What I mean by this is, for the most part, we only remember the high points of our lives. We remember major events and, possibly, the simple aspects of our lives if they are relatively recent. But typically we do not remember the average days of our lives after they slip into the past. If one were to take a poll, most people would have no recollection of what their day was like on November 6, 2000. I, personally, have no idea what I did that day. Being fourteen years ago, my memory of that day has long slipped away. But one thing I do know, though, is I had recently graduated from high school. I had been out six months. The point to be made is this: I remember a major event from the year 2000, but not an ordinary day. And this is true for a host of people, pertaining to any given year.  

            A significant portion of our lives we do not remember. We know we experienced certain things, but we cannot, often, remember specifics. In a very real sense we, as human beings, are a forgetful people. And while it is true we often forget the mundane, ordinary aspects and days of our lives—we also tend to forget the ways in which God acts in our lives. We often have short memories of God’s goodness and this type of spiritual amnesia is dangerous.

            In the book of Exodus, as one examines the story of the Israelites, short memories are detected. Spiritual amnesia of the worst sort is on display and serves as an example of how we are not to be in our relationship with God. Israel had witnessed the goodness of God and personally experienced how He poured out His plagues on the Egyptians, all the while exempting His own people. As the Passover was instituted and the firstborn of the Egyptians were smitten, God’s demonstration of His choice love for them was on perfect display. And they were keenly aware of it.

            In Exodus 19:4, as God outlines what Moses is to say to the Israelites, He starts by emphasizing,

“You have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Me.” (HCSB)

God’s love for Israel was known and Israel had tangible proof of God acting lovingly in their lives. So much, in fact, that in Exodus 19:8, in response to God’s covenant guidelines with them, they stated, “…We will do all that the Lord has spoken.” (HCSB) Goodness on God’s part and a consciousness of that goodness by the Israelites led them to agree to do all the Lord had commanded.

            All of us, perhaps, have witnessed the goodness of God in our lives. If we are honest, we can probably recall the key moments when we know God has done a mighty work for us. Some are no doubt in such moments currently. At just the right time a new job opportunity came through. The sickness of a family member was healed. The spiritual condition of someone we have been praying for takes a positive note. It is through these circumstances that people of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ know God has been at work and there is no denying it. It is within these moments that the goodness of God is revealed to us.

            This is exactly the place Israel was in during the time of Exodus 19. By Exodus 32, though, Israel’s memories began to fade. The people who had witnessed the marvelous acts of God now acted as if those acts never happened. In Exodus 32:1 we see their turn:

“When the people saw that Moses delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said to him, ‘Come, make us a god who will go before us because this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt—we don’t know what has happened to him!” (HCSB)

While Moses was on top of Mt. Sinai receiving the Law of God –the laws that were to govern God’s holy, chosen nation, Israel—the people of Israel had petitioned Aaron to make a god for them to worship. Why? Because they were impatient and wanted an identifiable leader—something or someone to look to and designate as in charge—because Moses, in their opinion, had taken too long on top of the mountain. This, it seems, is the epitome of self-indulgence—a life focused primarily on what the individual wants. Though the Israelites were indeed guilty of this, they certainly were not and are not the only ones. We, too, turn from the living God.

            One of the primary things a follower of Jesus should remember is this: It does not take long for us to forget what God has done in our lives. I’m not exactly sure why this is the case, but it is true, nonetheless. From Exodus 19 until Exodus 32 the time elapsed is forty days, give or take. But in this short time the Israelites drastically changed course. They shifted from stating they would do everything the Lord commanded in 19:8 to idolatry in 32:1. The old saying rings true, “It’s not what you have done for someone, it’s what you have done for them lately.” We act like this with God. We sing His praises while He is helping, but we soon develop short memories, forgetting what He has done in the past. And this is dangerous. In fact, it leads to something much more troubling.

            The something much more troubling is this: When we allow what God has done for us to be pushed to the back of our mind, we soon push God out of our lives altogether. Close attention to Exodus 32:1 reveals this truth. Notice, again, the text:

            “…Come, make us a god who will go before us because this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt—we don’t know what has happened to him!” (HCSB)

The emphasis from the text, for our purposes, is that Moses, instead of God, is attributed with bringing the Israelites out of the land of Egypt. In such a short time the Israelites had forgotten to acknowledge God for what He had done in their lives. In reality, they knew God was the one who brought them out of Egypt, for God even hints at this in Exodus 19:4, as He is speaking to the Israelites, by noting the following:

“You have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Me.” (HCSB)

Yet, the Israelites had, very quickly, forgotten what God did for them in the past and, instead, attributed it to Moses. There are many followers of the living God who are in such a predicament even at this moment. There are scores of people who have experienced the goodness of God only to soon afterward fall victim to forgetfulness and feelings that God is no longer with them.  Common phrases such as “I don’t feel God with me anymore” are thrown around often. The truth is, though, God is still there. The same God who got an individual out of financial trouble in the past is still concerned with them today. The same God who cured an individual of health problems in the past is still there now. The same God who got a person out of a tough situation is still active in the world.

            Do not be so quick to forget what God has done. Don’t experience the goodness of God, like the Israelites, and then turn from Him. Sometimes in our lives we have to bring everything to a screeching halt and simply dwell on God. As Psalm 46:10 states, “Be still, and know that I am God” (ESV). Perhaps it is good to challenge ourselves, often, and take fifteen- thirty minutes and think about all the good God has done in our lives. Things such as:

·       Help with money

·       Help getting into a certain school

·       The gift of your husband or wife

·       Your salvation/forgiveness of sins

·       Bailing you out of a situation you should have never been in

·       Curing a family member of a certain illness

We need these reminders of how God has been actively involved in every aspect of our lives.  If we do not allow ourselves to forget what He has done, we will not be as likely to push Him out of our lives altogether.

            God is close. He never leaves us. May we never develop spiritual amnesia—short memories of God’s goodness in our lives. If we’re honest, we have all been given way more than we deserve.