An Unforgettable God
I stood in the kitchen washing dishes, looking across the marble granite countertop at my precious little grandchildren and wondered, "Will they think of me as 'old'?" Most days, I don’t feel old, although I am celebrating being old enough to receive a check from Social Security next month! "Old" is a relative term, right? Old is the generation above me, but wait, they are meeting their reward one by one. It’s hard to even type the keys, much less say it out loud.
As I’m reading through Psalms this month, I press towards the mark of completion. Running a little behind schedule, it’s easy to turn on the audio, fold laundry, run an errand, and get 'er done! But my heart just won’t let me. It slows me down to sit, with my little pink highlighter and assortment of pens close by and read. Soft music playing, coffee in hand, soaking in God’s Word. Him speaking to my soul. You see, it seems so many want a “Word from God,” and it’s here, right in our hands, every day, waiting to speak.
Checking off my Psalms list, I move on to the next theme of thanksgiving and turn to Psalm 106. Oh, it starts with thanksgiving and God’s steadfast love, but my sweet friend, it swiftly turns a corner! Around verse 13, it begins with, "But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel." Then, verse 15 states, "He gave them what they asked." Ooohhh, that should have been a quick warning we were heading down a very different road. Immediately, I grabbed my pen and wrote in my journal Bible, "Warning! Sometimes we may not want God to give us what we ask for! Pray according to His will." But NO! It gets worse!
17 the earth opened and swallowed up Dathan,
and covered the company of Abiram.
18 Fire also broke out in their company;
the flame burned up the wicked.
19 They made a calf in Horeb
and worshiped a metal image.
20 They exchanged the glory of God[b]
for the image of an ox that eats grass.
21 They forgot God, their Savior,
who had done great things in Egypt,
22 wondrous works in the land of Ham,
and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.
23 Therefore he said he would destroy them—
had not Moses, his chosen one,
stood in the breach before him,
to turn away his wrath from destroying them. Psalms 106
24 Then they despised the pleasant land,
having no faith in his promise.
25 They murmured in their tents,
and did not obey the voice of the Lord.
26 Therefore he raised his hand and swore to them
that he would make them fall in the wilderness,
27 and would make their offspring fall among the nations,
scattering them among the lands. Psalms 106
35 but they mixed with the nations
and learned to do as they did.
36 They served their idols,
which became a snare to them. Psalms 106
Whoa! That’s heavy. I sat, thought, and pondered. (So glad I didn’t miss this moment by rushing past it, like I might have before.)
They forgot God. Their Savior. How does one forget such a Savior?
Again, I grabbed my pen, not caring which color this time because I needed to jot this down quickly: How?! How did the children of Israel, God’s chosen, beloved people, those he delivered time and again, and witnessed such amazing miracles, how did they forget? How?! Could it be that they:
stopped telling of His goodness?
ceased testifying of His miracles?
perhaps they were even silenced for fear of what others may say, or cultural embarrassment?
or worse yet, did they also have “political correctness” in their day?
No doubt each of these ideas played a factor of their forgotten God.
I’m sure it wasn’t intentional; it was just life. Life as usual: busy, checking off the list, getting things done, and forgetting to recall the greatness of what God has done. After all, sometimes it can feel like we are becoming our parents, telling stories of old that the young’uns roll their eyes about, giggle under their breath, and send a text to their sibling across the room— "Can you believe they’re telling that story (aka: testimony) again?"
We no longer have testimony services; our worship services have evolved. But has our time together changed as well? Do we still share those testimonies? Do they resonate throughout our children's and families' lives? Will they become cherished memories? What will their memories be?
As I seek to learn from God’s Word, I acknowledge that in 2025, we have a choice. We can choose to share the great miracles God has done in our lives and those around us, or we can let it wane as we remain self-absorbed in our electronic devices, unengaged. If nothing else, I realize it must be a conscious effort to keep the testimonies of His greatness alive.
Today, I recognize that I probably am “old,” and I guess I’m okay with that. At least now, I get paid for being old! (lol). But with age comes greater responsibility; I have generations following me, and you do too.
So, my friend, how will we preserve the knowledge of this amazing Savior and the testimonies He has so graciously given us? God did not grant us miracles simply for our own gratification or relief, but as testimonies for future generations. I encourage you to continue sharing your stories of miracles and all God has done in your life with our younger generations.
It's a joy to serve an unforgettable God!
Praying you are blessed today.
Gena
