Don't Forget What You Remember

Dear Friends,

One of the truths about me is that I regularly need to be reminded of things that I already know. Just ask my wife, my kids, my friends, the folks at our church, or our neighbors. They will all tell you the same thing: I regularly need to be reminded of stuff that I already know.

Unfortunately, this can also be true in my walk with God. As I go through each day, it seems that God regularly has to remind me of things that I already know about Him, and that I already know about how He wants me to live. I think this happens so often because I regularly get distracted by the tasks of life, and by the immediacy of what's going on around me. So then I end up forgetting what I already know.

But I don’t think I’m alone in this struggle. If we’re honest, I think most of us would admit that we regularly forget what we already know - especially when it comes to what we know about God. This is not a new problem - it’s a human problem that’s been around a long time. In Luke 24 we can see this very issue demonstrated, as we read the story of two guys who had forgotten some really important things that they should have remembered. As we read the story we see that they had at one time been really passionate followers of Jesus - but then He was crucified, and everything changed. The last minute miracle they were expecting didn’t happen, and Jesus actually died. So these guys were discouraged and feeling let down, and they decided to leave town (Luke 24:13-35).

Here's why this story is so relatable: Jesus had told His followers that He would be crucified, and that after three days, He would rise again. Actually, Jesus talked about that a lot. So it would be easy for us to assume that these guys would not get discouraged over Jesus’ death, because He had told them what was going to happen. And He had also promised them that His death would not be the end of the story. But just like we tend to do, these guys forgot what Jesus said, and what He had promised. And all they wanted to do was put as much distance between them and the cross as possible.

Then Jesus showed up - just like He said He would. Listen to how it's described in Luke 24:13-15: “That same day two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem. As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus Himself suddenly came and began walking with them, but they didn't recognize Him.”

Jesus literally, physically showed up. But in their discouragement, His followers didn’t recognize Him. This is where our lives really intersect with the lives of those guys on the road to Emmaus, because all-to-often, we can let the challenges of this life overwhelm us and keep us from seeing Jesus right next to us. And in those moments, we forget to remember Him, and all the things He’s told us about how He will help us.

I'm not sure of what all is going on in your life today, but I'm willing to bet that some of you reading this are feeling far from God. Or maybe some are struggling with very difficult situations. And maybe some are just so overwhelmed by the activities of life that that you forget to stop and look for God. Whatever it is that’s going on in your life, here's what we all need to do today: remember.  We need to stop and remember that God has not forgotten us, that He is still in control, that He has plans for us and the world we live in, and that His Word is full of promises for each of us.

So today, pray with me that we will all remember the things God wants us to remember, and forget the things He’d want us to forget. Ask Him to renew our focus and faith, as He did with the two guys on the road to Emmaus all those years ago.

Amen?

Daniel