"Don't forget me my Child!"

(2 Peter 3:4-5) But, the danger of forgetting God is not unique to those in the world. It is a very real danger for God's own people. Forgetting God is such a concern that Scripture reminds His people repeatedly not to forget Him.

This morning, our psychology professor asks us the thing/person which we usually fail to remember. I’m so downhearted with most of their response. “I tend to forget God. How good he is. How he make my life colorful. I mostly calls him, seeks him, every time only that I have my hardships.”

Those are what most answers were.

Do not mistake what it means to forget God. There are subtle ways of forgetting God that creep into our lives if we are not careful. We forget God when we live as if He doesn't exist. We claim His Name and do our religious duties, but our daily lives are lived as if He isn't even there. We speak His Name but our worship is not exclusively His, other gods get our attention and worship as well. Gods such as materialism, humanism, work, family, education, self. Such are our gods of Baal that worm their way into our lives if we are not careful. To worship God along with others is to forget Him and not to worship Him at all.

In his book "The Screwtape Letters" C. S. Lewis has Screwtape advising Wormwood that it is all right that "his patient," the person whose spiritual demise Wormwood was responsible, was going to church. In fact he says he is "almost glad." Screwtape goes on to explain that it is good that the patient thinks he is a Christian when indeed he is far from God, for this demise is the most subtle of all. William Willimon, Professor of Preaching at Duke University, said that more often than not Christians are "practicing atheists." Saying there is a God and living like there is a God is two different things. God is more than a "higher power." He is more than "the Man upstairs." He is more than the one who is "watching us, from a distance."

"When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God. "You may say to yourself, 'My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth . . . If you ever forget the LORD your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroy.

Deuteronomy 6:12 Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

Deuteronomy 8:11 Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day.

Job 8:12-13 whilst it is yet in his greenness, and not cut down, it withered before any other herb. So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite's hope shall perish.

I came across this little story or parable in a book and I would

like to share it with you today.

One afternoon a shopper at the local mall felt the need for a coffee break.  She bought herself a little bag of cookies and put them in her shopping bag.  She then got in line for coffee, found a place to sit at one of the crowded tables, and then taking the lid off her coffee and taking out a magazine she began to sip her coffee and read.  Across the table from her a man sat reading a newspaper.

After a minute or two she reached out and took a cookie. As she did, the man seated across the table reached out and took one too.  This put her off, but she did not say anything.

A few moments later she took another cookie.  Once again the man did so too.  Now she was getting a bit upset, but still she did not say anything.

After having a couple of sips of coffee she once again took another cookie.  So did the man.  She was really upset by this especially since now only one cookie was left.  Apparently the man also realized that only one

         cookie was left.  Before she could say anything he took it, broke it in half, offered half to her, and proceeded to eat the other half himself.  Then he smiled at her and, putting the paper under his arm, rose and walked off.

Was she steamed?  Her coffee break ruined, already thinking ahead of how she would tell this offense to her family, she folded her magazine, opened her shopping bag, and there discovered her own unopened bag of cookies.

I like that story - it makes me think about how well God treats

me even when I am not treating him well or thinking all that

kindly about him.

It also makes me think about how, sometimes, I do not really

appreciate what I have or act like I know where it has come from. 

It serves as a kind of reminder to me.

         Do not say to yourself, "my power and the might of my own

         hands have gotten me this wealth."  But remember the Lord

         you God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth,

         so that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your

         ancestors, and as he swearing to you today."

It speaks so well of what we all know somewhere in our hearts,

but often seem to forget in our actions and our attitudes.

It speaks of how everything we have is a gift from God,

a gift worked upon by our hands, most certainly;

a gift perhaps even enhanced by our own strength,

but a gift none-the -less,

for God gives us the hands we need,

and God gives us the strength we have.

What do you think would happen if each one of us suddenly became

a more thankful person?  If all of us suddenly became a more

appreciative people?

I don't know what comes to your minds, but I believe No one likes to be taken for granted or to see someone that

they love taking things for granted.

All of us like to be appreciated,

all of us like to be thanked,

and all of us, I believe, like to see those we love 

live thankful lives, appreciative lives, so much so that we teach our children this virtue

- at our supper tables,

- during birthday parties, 

- in the middle of visits from their grandparents,

- and just about any time that they are receiving something

from someone or asking someone for something.

but as we think with holy and prayerful minds today,

as we thank God for the harvest we are all enjoying,

I ask you - as I ask myself - where is your sense of thankfulness at? 

How complete is it? 

How deep does it run in your life?

These activities which he asked us to write down made me think and realize tons of matters.

Let’s also reflect on this.

Be blessed!

-AbbieBirthday