How quickly we forget

Day 22

OT Reading: Exodus 1-3

NT Reading: Matthew 15:21-39

Did you notice a common thread between the Old and New Testament readings today? In Exodus we see that after Joseph and all his brothers die, some years later a Pharaoh comes to power who is taught nothing about Joseph and his role in establishing the power of Egypt. So instead of welcoming the Israelites and working with them...he enslaves and mistreats them.

Then in the New Testament Jesus is teaching, and once again...lots of people are there. Once again it's late in the day, and once again they have no food. And even after Jesus had previously fed the five-thousand (Matthew 14), the disciples respond, "Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?" (Matthew 15:33, NIV)

How quickly we forget. We can receive a myriad of blessings and have tremendous things occurring around us...and all of that seems far from our minds when challenged with the next difficult obstacle. "Sure God, you may have come through for me two years ago, or three months ago, or last week...but now I'm just not sure you can handle this one." I can't speak for you, but I personally am consistently astonished by my own "what have you done for me lately?" attitude that I approach God with.

So how can we fix that? What can we do to recognize what God has done? Well, one way is to give ourselves reminders. In fact if you have been wondering why in the Old Testament guys are always setting up pillars and building altars and calling certain places by certain names...it is actually so they can remember what God has done there. When passing a pillar that had been set by my grandpa's grandpa, or when walking by a tree I planted, I'm reminded and can retell the story to my kids and grandkids of what God did for me.

I'm not advocating putting up stone altars everywhere...as I think there are some pretty strict ordinances against that. But maybe we need to take some advice from our spiritual forefathers, and put a few reminders in our way -- to remind us time, and time, and time again...of how faithful to us God has been.