Don’t Forget The Lord

Deuteronomy 6:10-12)

“And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not, And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full; Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.”

Throughout the first five books of the Bible, Moses, who is traditionally credited as the author, repeatedly urges the people not to forget God. This message is woven throughout the narrative, serving as a vital reminder of the importance of maintaining a relationship with the Lord.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (NKJV)

4 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! 5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

6 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Consequences of Forgetting God

The scriptures provide clear examples of what happened when the people ignored these warnings.

When they failed to remember God and turned away from His commands, they faced severe consequences. Their enemies overpowered them, and they were left without the things they needed.

These outcomes were not accidental; they were direct results of abandoning God’s guidance and forgetting the source of their blessings.

Lessons for Us Today

This warning is not limited to the people of ancient Israel. As the apostle Paul explains, these events were recorded as examples and warnings for us as well.

In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul writes:

(1 Corinthians 10:6-12)

 “Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”

Responsibility for Our Choices

God is the one who has delivered us and brought us into a newness of life. If we choose to forget Him and return to our old ways, we bear responsibility for the consequences that follow.

When we are overcome, defeated, or destroyed by our adversaries, it is a result of turning away from the One who saves and sustains us.

We often think of "sin" as loud, violent, or rebellious actions. But one of the most dangerous sins is quiet, passive, and subtle: forgetting God

Forgetting God doesn't mean having temporary amnesia about His existence. It means living, planning, and working as though He were not part of our daily lives. It is the loss of focus, placing Him at the bottom of our priority list rather than the top.

Judges 2:10 (NKJV)

10 When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the LORD nor the work which He had done for Israel.

Ironically, when we are most blessed, we are most prone to forget the source of the blessing. Deuteronomy 8:12-14 warns that when we eat, are satisfied, and build fine houses, our hearts become proud and we forget the LORD who brought us out of slavery.

We Become Our Own Idols: When we forget God, we don't worship nothing; we worship everything else. We fill the void with career, money, pleasure, or self-worship.

The Remedy: Actively Remembering

• Intentionality:

• We must cultivate a life of "remembering." This requires vigilance, as Psalm 103:1-5 urges us to "forget not all His benefits".

• Worship and Community:
  Gathering together helps realign our hearts and minds to who God is, preventing us from becoming self-centered.

• The Power of Testimony:
  Sharing what God has done in our lives helps us—and the next generation—keep God at the forefront.

• The Daily Walk:
  We must bring our thoughts back to God daily, ensuring our gratitude is not an afterthought, but a lifestyle.

• God Remembers Us:
  Even when we are forgetful, God is a covenant-keeping God who never forgets His promises.

Closing Prayer:
Lord, deliver us from the distractions that make us forget You.
Revive in us a passion to testify of Your mighty works.
Help us to walk in Your ways and never forget the Rock of our salvation.