Forgetting God

The Bible often speaks of God’s people “forgetting God.” It would seem impossible that those who are called by God’s name would “forget God,” but that is the tragic reality attested to throughout biblical history. Even when God’s people continue to gather in his name and sing worship songs, the sad possibility is that they (or we) can be forgetting God (Dt.6:12; Ps.78:11; Mt.15:8; Am.5:21).

Forgetting God does not mean that we are unable to recall certain facts about God, but rather that he is no longer at the forefront of our minds and at the top of our priorities. Other things can so easily clutter our time and capture our attention until our worship, thanksgiving and dependence on God are all but an afterthought. To make sure that we are not going through the motions of meeting together and mouthing Christian lyrics, we must make sure that our days between meetings are focused on our Creator and Redeemer.

We must always find prompts for thanksgiving. We must continually read and ponder the statements of Scripture. We must make sure that our brains and hearts are always engaged whenever we recite biblical words or utter Christian lyrics. Perpetually bringing our thoughts back to our God may require our vigilance (Ps.103:1-5), but it is never a drudgery. Our minds, hearts and lives were made for him. Nothing is truly more satisfying or sustaining than centering our attention and affections on our generous and loving King.