90 Day Bible Challenge – Day 22

I certainly hope you all are enjoying this challenge as much as I am. I find myself more excited each day. I usually read at 11pm at night, because I needed a set time to get started with the challenge. But I find myself watching the clock and hoping the time will speed past. Well, this week I just gave up and read early because I couldn’t wait. Then I had to force myself not to read ahead of the day’s scheduled reading. Well, that plan is not working either ‘cos I’m a bit ahead. I’ve also reverted back to the New Living Translation that I normally read, rather than the NIV 90 Day Bible. The print in my Bible is a bit larger than that in the 90 Day Bible so I find it much easier to read. Think it, but don’t say it: Angela’s getting old(er). 🙂

Now on to this week’s reading. As usual, there’s so much to talk about. Joshua, Judges, Ruth and 1 Samuel have some of the most fascinating people in the Bible. I’m going to refrain from picking one to talk about and go with the general theme of what happens when we forget the past.

After that generation died, another generation grew up who did not acknowledge the LORD or remember the mighty things he had done for Israel. –Judges 2:10 (NLT)

The Iraelites forgot all the great wonders God had worked on their behalf. They forgot how He brought them out of Egypt. They forgot how he wiped out their enemies to give them their own land. They forgot all the things God told them to remember. All those laws, ordinances and observances that God spelled out for them and encouraged them not to forget, they forgot. Not only did they forget; they went and served the very idols that God had warned them against. And, as soon as they forgot, they’d get overtaken by their enemies. Then they’d call on God, who would rescue them. Then later they’d forget again, re-starting the cycle of forget, become overtaken, get rescued, forget again. There seemed to be a problem with sharing the good news of what God had done across the generations.

This scripture reminds me how important it is to remember the great things that God has done in our lives, the many times He’s rescued us. How can you forget them? I think one reason we forget them is because we don’t like remembering the circumstances that led to our needing to be rescued. Who wants to remember the awful things they’ve done? the stupid things? the things that hurt us and others? No, we want to forget those things. But maybe in trying to forget them, we also forget how God rescued us. So even though we shouldn’t wallow in our past faults and sins, we also shouldn’t try to hide from them or pretend they didn’t happen. We need to remember the situations, so that we can also remember the power and love of God that it took to bring us out.

Sometimes shame makes us want to wipe those memories away. But there’s no need to be ashamed of the past. That’s over and done. Our lives are made up of a series of events, good and bad, and, in those events we see God ride to our rescue. We need signposts to help us remember those times of rescue. So let’s stop running from the past. If you’ve asked for forgiveness, you’re forgiven and you’re ready to help others who find themselves in the hole that you were in. How wonderful is that?

What a great reading week! Now tell me about yours.