Remember What Is Important

Failing to remember something important causes problems. If we forget tickets or passport when we travel, it causes inconvenience. If we forget birthdays and anniversaries it can cause disharmony with people we care about. Forgetting to take necessary medications can be life-threatening. Unfortunately, as important as it is to remember certain things, it is easy to forget. We get distracted, or busy and lose our grasp of things we intended to remember.

Or, we take things for granted, and forget from where they came.

God rescued His people out of slavery in Egypt, parted the Red Sea, then led them through the wilderness for forty years. During that time, He provided for all their needs. He fed them manna every day. Their shoes and clothes didn’t wear out. When they were ready to enter the land He promised them, He counseled them through Moses to remember everything He had done for them. They intended to remember. But they forgot. They forgot everything God had done for them. They forgot their identity in Him. They forgot to obey His commandments. They brought trouble on themselves because of their poor memory.

It seems to be an ongoing problem throughout history. Alexander Solzhenitsyn, in his 1983 Templeton address, traced the communist oppression of his homeland of Russia, and the resulting hardships to have arisen because, “Men have forgotten God.” He warned that as Marxist ideas and atheism were spreading around the globe, America was in danger of following his country into the same problems. Instead of heeding his words, and striving to preserve our Christian heritage, our country has worked hard to erase it.

For over 200 years the United States enjoyed freedom and prosperity. Our nation was founded on the truth that rights are given by God, not governments. Our legal system was founded on the principles of moral and civil law outlined in the Bible. Our public education system began with the purpose of teaching children to read, so they could read the Bible. Even though not everyone was a believer, or attended church, people were united around a common understanding of Christian principles. There was general agreement that murder, stealing, and lying were wrong. God richly blessed our nation as a result of our collective acknowledgment of Him and His ways.

Today, prayer and Bible reading have been removed from public schools. Legal battles arise when attempts are made to display the Ten Commandments in schools and courtrooms. Words from a letter written by Thomas Jefferson, concerning the “Separation of Church and State,” have been misrepresented. Those who reject God’s authority lead us to believe the words mean there can be no mention of God in public life. The original intent of those words was that the State could not impose a State-sponsored religion, nor interfere with an individual’s right to worship. The U. S. Constitution echoes the thought. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise therof.”

Our nation is currently experiencing confusion, division, and chaos unknown to previous generations. We have lost a clear concept of right and wrong. We have forgotten God.

The 4th of July is more than a day for picnics and fireworks. As we prepare to celebrate Independence Day, let us remember our beginnings. May we remember the God our founders honored.

. . . be sure to praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. Deuteronomy 8:10

 

How will you and your family remember the God behind our nation’s founding? Please leave a comment below.

Blessings,
Phyllis

Copyright 2024 Phyllis L. Farringer

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