"Let's Not Forget"
Jan. 25, 2020
You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was the man who made Sherlock Holmes famous.
I can't be sure, but I don't think he ever wrote about the time when the great detective and his sidekick, Dr. Watson, were on safari in Africa. In the middle of the night, Holmes awoke, nudged his companion, and asked, "Watson, look up at the sky and tell me what you see."
Deliberately, Dr. Watson replied: "Holmes, I see many things. Astronomically, I see millions of galaxies. From the placement of the stars, I see that time is about half-past three. Meteorologically, I can see we have every possibility of enjoying a sunny day tomorrow."
Holmes asked, "Is that all you see?"
Watson finally had to admit, "Yes, that's all I see. Is there more?"
With a sigh Holmes said, "Yes, Watson, you are not seeing someone has taken our tent."
Watson had managed to miss the single thing that should have been most obvious.
In similar fashion, I see a great many people following in Watson's footsteps. Newspapers report wonderful advancements in knowledge; the radio and the internet talk about breakthroughs in technology; television points to the marvels of modern science. They all tell us we live in a most wondrous time.
Still, if these are the only things we see, like Dr. Watson, we're missing the most obvious.
We are missing the Lord's handiwork in the affairs of humankind. Now, it would hardly be the first time such a thing has happened. The people before the biblical flood thought they could do without God. And after the deluge they raised a tower to show their contempt of the Deity.
When the Children of Israel, having seen God's miracles in Egypt and having experienced His guidance through the Sinai, were prepared to enter the Promised Land, God spoke to them. He reminded them not to forget they were there because He had brought them there. Then He concluded it all by saying, "Remember."
Remember. That's what God's people in every generation are supposed to do.
We are to remember. Now remembering the Lord who has given us all ought to be elementary, but it isn't. As proof, I can say every nation throughout history has managed to forget God and give in to the sin of pride. Every global power, having enjoyed a period of prosperity, looks around and concludes that they—not God—have earned what they have. They forget.
Well, we are not completely responsible for what our nation remembers or forgets, but we are in charge of our homes and our own lives. We can remember how the Lord sent His Son to be the sacrifice who saves us—how Jesus gave His life so we might have life, or we can forget. We can remember the resurrection and the Savior's triumph over sin, death, and the devil and, most certainly, we can remember to thank the Savior with our lives—or, sadly, we can forget.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, every good and perfect gift comes from You. May we remember to give thanks for them and for the greatest gift of all: the salvation that is ours through our Savior's sacrifice. In His Name we pray. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
- How do you keep in mind the helpful or nice things people do for you?
- Why is it so easy to forget God in our everyday lives?
- What do you do to keep your memory sharp? Do you apply any special mental techniques to remember things?
Taken from the Daily Devotion, "Remembering," by Rev. Ken Klaus, former Speaker of The Lutheran Hour. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
How do you keep in mind the helpful or nice things people do for you?
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