Pastor’s Column 8/17/2025

PASTOR’S COLUMN

12 “Be careful not to forget the Lord  who rescued  you from slavery in the land of Egypt. 13 You must fear the Lord your God and serve Him. When you take an oath, you must use only His name.”  

Deuteronomy 6:12-13, NLT​                                  

“The Blessing of Not Forgetting”

When the Lord spoke to the Israelites about “not forgetting” what He had done for them – the strong inference is that the people who God rescued from perpetual misery and oppression had no reason not to remember His deeds. The actions of God in the lives of His people were so immediate and impacting. “To forget” what God did was considered a grave offence. In ancient times a deed was never to be taken lightly. Many favors were life and death matters. A simple drink of water for a weary traveler often saved a person from near death because of acute dehydration. A morsel of bread, as in the case of the widow and her son in Zarephath meant hunger would not cause them to succumb during the night. It is not the size of a deed that is worth remembering; it is not forgetting the deed itself that holds importance. When Jacob and his family moved to Egypt, they comprised about 75 people. The land Pharoah gave them to inhabit, Goshen, was fertile and lush. The land provided them with the best fruits, crops and grazing for livestock. But when a Pharoah arose later who was not favorable to Joseph’s generation, the people suffered greatly. Moses was directed by God to lead the people in a mass exodus out of Egypt, when no fewer than 600,000 people left safely. God commanded the people “not to forget” this great feat and the many miracles He performed before them. To remember the actions of God, is to respect and give reverence to God. When we make a conscious effort not to forget God, we will grow in ways we never could have imagined. Paul said he forgot only the things in life which had no real value for His Christian life.  “To know Christ and the power of His resurrection” was everything to Paul. He didn’t forget!