Watch out! Be very careful never to forget what you have seen God doing for you. May his miracles have a deep and permanent affect on lives! Tell your children and your grandchildren about the glorious miracles he did.
Deuteronomy 4: 9 (LB)
As disciples of Jesus, we need to be on our toes. We should never forget what He has done – in the Bible stories or in our own stories. This devotion looks at why we are to remember and what we are to pass on to our children.
Nuggets
- In our walk imitating Jesus, we need to make sure we obey God’s laws and commandments.
- Unlike us, God has never and will never forget the covenant He made with us.
- Through miracles, we see that God can and will protect and provide or us.
- When we tell our children Bible stories – and stories about our experiences – we make God real to them.
Pastor Chad talked to me yesterday. You see, after Mom and Dad died, my sister and I donated our childhood piano to my church. She had one, and I had one. Neither of us had the room or need for a second piano.
But after 26 years, my church no longer needed our childhood piano. They were thinking of donating it, but Pastor Chad wanted to get my input.
My first thought was they could do whatever they wanted to with it. Once we donated it, it was no longer ours.
Pastor Chad asked if I wanted it back. To me, that was a left-field thought, so it threw me a little. I asked him if I could think about it. I also wanted to check with my sister.
Then, figuring out what I was going to write on today, this verse came up. It has an element of remembering. Let’s take a look.
Let's Put It into Context
Moses was giving a second telling of the law. The Israelites had lived through it it 40 years before, but these listeners in Deuteronomy were the kids and maybe grandkids of those that came out of Egypt. Some of his listeners may have been too young — or not even born — when what he was discussing happened. So, Moses was telling it again.
They didn’t have books in those days, and the common man didn’t have scrolls. Moses had to remind/tell them about what happened.
Moses’ whole purpose of giving this speech is to stress the importance of obedience. Remembering helps. He reminded them of consequences of past sin and of how God appeared to them.
Moses told them how they should live. Now, he hit some things a couple of times because, you know, hard heads (they weren’t that different than us). Moses talked about several different things that augment our obedience to God.
Think of it this way. The last time they stood here, things didn’t go well. In fact, it was supposed to be an eleven-day journey after they left here. Because of their unbelief, it took forty years. He wanted them to do better than their parents did. How were they to do that?
Be Strict and Careful
Watch out! … Deuteronomy 4: 9 (LB)
Moses was telling the wilderness wanderers that they needed to make sure they were following God’s commandments. If they were ruled by these laws and commandments, they would glorify God, Who would bless them. They would be getting the Promised Land.
Also, Moses was telling the wilderness wanderers to pay attention. It was really easy for them to take their focus off God.
Nothing much has changed since then. In our walk imitating Jesus, we need to be really careful. We have to watch out to make sure we obey God’s laws and commandments. We have to know what those are and follow them.
Through everything we do, we have to keep God on His throne. We have to keep giving Him the glory and the honor.
Don’t Forget
… Be very careful never to forget what you have seen God doing for you. Deuteronomy 4: 9 (LB)
When Moses was telling the wilderness wanderers not to forget, he was telling them to remember. They not only were supposed to remember to follow God’s laws and commandments, but they also needed remember what He had done for them.
The wilderness wanderers had to remember God’s Presence 40 years ago (Ex. 19: 16 RSV). They had to remember they heard Him. “And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder” (Ex. 19: 19 RSV).
God has never and will never forget the covenant He made with us. We, on the other hand, forget all the time.
Believe in Miracles
… May his miracles have a deep and permanent affect on lives! … Deuteronomy 4: 9 (LB)
The wilderness wanderers had to believe the plagues happened (Ex. 7-12). They had to believe the Red Sea parted (Ex. 14: 10-25). They had to believe the manna (Ex. 16: 4) and quail (Ex. 16: 13) came down and water came out of a rock (Ex. 17: 6).
We have to believe the Jordan River parted (Josh. 3). We have to believe walls fell at Jericho (Josh. 6).
We have to believe Jesus turned the wine into water (Jn. 2: 1-11). And feed 5,000 with five loaves and two fish (Mt. 14: 13-21). And walked on water (Mt. 14: 22-33).
And rose from the dead (Lk. 24: 1-12). That is the most important miracle that needs to affect our lives.
These miracles have a deep and permanent affect on our lives as we see God’s power. We see that He can and will protect and provide for us.
Teach Your Children
… Tell your children and your grandchildren about the glorious miracles he did. Deuteronomy 4: 9 (LB)
The wilderness wanderers had to teach their children so they would remember. They had to tell the stories — all of the stories. Creation (Gen. 1). The fall (Gen. 3). The flood (Gen. 6-8). Abraham (Gen. 12-25). Isaac (Gen. 21-28). Jacob (Gen. 26-35). They probably told stories that didn’t make it into Moses’ account.
But those stores — and stories about the miracles — had to be told. Why?
Those stories showed God’s love for them. They showed how they were supposed to live. They showed that, when things were going badly, God was still there taking care of them.
Plus, the wilderness wanderers were showing their kids how to worship. Who to worship. If people aren’t told, how do they know? They had to remember.
When we tell our children Bible stories – and stories about our experiences – we make God real to them. We give them first-hand experience with a loving God.
Making the Connections
I wonder what emotions Moses was having when he is talking to the wilderness wanderers. Later on in the chapter, he foretold that they would mess up (Deut. 4: 25-28). Yes, Moses wasn’t going to be going into the Promised Land with them, but he had invested a lot of time and effort getting them to this point. He couldn’t just walk away and feel nothing.
But look what Moses says in verse 29. “But you will also begin to search again for Jehovah your God, and you will find him when you search for him with all your heart and soul” (Deut. 4: 29 RSV).
Somebody had to tell us or take us to church. We have to tell somebody or take them to church.
If we don’t obey God’s laws and commandments, we, too, will find ourselves suffering the consequences.
Wherever we are at, whatever we have done, we can seek God. We just have to take a step toward Him in reverence and repentance, and He will be there to welcome us back into His fold.
It has to be with all our hearts — we have to be sincerely and honestly seeking Him. He won’t turn His back on us if our seeking is real.
How Do We Apply This?
We have to be careful. We have to follow God’s laws and commandments.
We have to make sure Satan isn’t trying to slide us into a worldview. To do that, we have to consider how this situations fits into everything — what the Bible tells us, what God has been saying as He talks to us, all the possible advantages and consequences it could bring, etc.
We have to get over our fear of talking about our faith. We have to love people more than we fear. We have to trust God — because it is Him Who the conversation is about, not us.
We can’t be afraid to talk about our experiences. You know I am a firm believer that everything that happens to us happens for a reason — a reason God will use to expand His kingdom. We’ve got to show others how God is working in our lives today, not just umpteen thousands of years ago.
We need to keep track of the good things that God does for us. Write it down. Keep adding to the list. Go through the list periodically to remind ourselves of what He has done for us. Reflect on how He has worked in our lives and why He has done what He has done.
So, we will be switching pianos. I’ll be getting memories. Mom told me she always knew when I was upset or stressed because I would willingly sit down and play this piano. I remember practicing on this piano on Sunday mornings, picking out the songs I wanted to play for Sunday School and giving them to Dad because he was Sunday School song leader. I remember practicing duets with my sister because if we went to a revival somewhere, we had to sing.
It’s good to remember. Happy birthday in heaven, Mom.
Father. We want to obey Your laws and commandments. We want to live for You. We remember the blessings You have given us. Help us to worship You in the correct way. Forgive us when we rely on what we are familiar with and transfer it to You. Amen.
What do you think? What experience in your past do you need to remember? How can you use that experience to expand God’s kingdom?
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