‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits:’
Psalms 103:2
I doubt that there will ever be a devotional from Out of Fear that will not have remembrance as one of the topics, because faith and memory work together. They work hand in hand. When you see a man of faith, you best believe his memory of his journey with God and God’s work in his life is intact. In the same way, if you see a fearful man, I can almost guarantee that he has forgotten the wonders of God in his life, or he is no longer holding them in the right regard.
Let me prove it
Forgetful Israel
Let’s take the children of Israel as our first example. When everything was going well, you would not hear a word from them. But the moment they entered an uncomfortable situation, or their expectations were not met, they began to complain. They murmured. They even turned against Moses.
Why?
In those moments of discomfort, when they needed water and came to Marah and the water was bitter (Exodus 15:23–24), when they wanted food and there was none, and God had to send manna (Exodus 16:2–4), and later quail (Exodus 16:11–13), they forgot. They forgot how the Lord brought them out of Egypt (Exodus 12). They forgot the miracle of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21–22). They forgot all the wonders they had already experienced.
If they had remembered, their faith would have been stronger. They would have said, “I may not have everything I need right now, but I remember the last time I was in trouble and God came through. I remember the last difficult season, and He made a way.” But because they kept forgetting the goodness of God, they kept murmuring and complaining (Exodus 16:8; Numbers 14:2).
2 Kings Different Memory
Now let’s look at Saul and David.
Saul was chosen out of all Israel to be the first king (1 Samuel 9–10). There was prophecy over his life. At some point, he even prophesied (1 Samuel 10:10–11). Yet as his reign continued, Saul disobeyed God and spared what God told him to destroy. Then he asked Samuel to come with him so that he could be honored before the people (1 Samuel 15:13, 30). He was asking Samuel to endorse his disobedience.
Saul had forgotten where God brought him from. He was afraid of the people’s disapproval, and he forgot that the One who made him approved in the eyes of the people in the first place was God (1 Samuel 10:24; 1 Samuel 15:24). If he had remembered that important detail, he would have prized pleasing God above the opinions and thoughts of the people concerning him (Galatians 1:10).
Now look at David.
When David was bringing back the ark of the covenant, he danced with all his might, to the point where he exposed himself. When Michal mocked him, David replied, “I will dance before the Lord who chose me instead of your father” (2 Samuel 6:14–22). David remembered.
You see it in the Psalms. David would complain sometimes. He would pour out his heart. But then he would remember. And he would end with praise (Psalm 42:5; Psalm 43:5; Psalm 103:1–5).
Saul had a history of forgetfulness, just like Israel. David had a history of remembrance. And you can see how differently they approached God and how differently they lived. David was more faithful in his walk with God than Saul. Saul became so fearful that he eventually sought a medium and asked for Samuel to be called up, because he had forgotten how God had helped him before (1 Samuel 28:7–8).
Forget Not
Beloved, when the Bible says, “forget not all His benefits” (Psalm 103:2), I hope that when you wake up one morning, and things are not going the way you planned, you do not forget that God has carried you this far. I hope you do not forget that His mercy sustained you when you could not sustain yourself (Lamentations 3:22–23). I hope you do not forget that His grace was sufficient for you (2 Corinthians 12:9), and that the reason you even woke up on a difficult day is that His mercy did not fail.
I hope you remember all the benefits you have enjoyed, so that you can bless Him regardless of what you are going through.
Ask the Holy Spirit to help you in the areas where you struggle with remembrance. When you find your heart doubting, ask Him to remind you. One of the works of the Holy Spirit is to remind us of everything Jesus has said (John 14:26). Lean on Him when fear rises, because I guarantee you, there is a history of God’s goodness in your life that you must not forget.
Trust that His grace is sufficient. Trust that the God who did it before will do it again (Hebrews 13:8).
Prayer
Lord, I repent of forgetfulness. I ask that this year, my mind will be alert and sensitive. Help me to remember all of Your goodness and all of Your works in my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Shalom. God bless you.
