I can relate to these men. Yesterday, I picked up the notebook I’m using to record prayer requests. I flipped to the front, thinking I’d check for those that had been answered. To my surprise, this book began with a session of conversations with God — my prayers and His answers, from seven years ago.
As I read them, I wept. I don’t remember writing any of them, never mind remembering what God said in reply. They total dozens of pages with E for my thoughts and G for the responses of the Holy Spirit. After a few pages of being overwhelmingly blessed, I had to stop reading and confess my forgetfulness and that I’d not thought enough about what God was saying to recall one bit of it. No wonder that He repeats truths to me; my mind is like a sieve and so contrary to the thinking of the psalmist:
I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. (Psalm 119:11)
I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.” (Psalm 40:8)
My excuse is a scattered mind, an issue with attention-deficit, but that is not a valid excuse. MacArthur says that Isaac and Esau were reluctant rather than resolute in their response to God. He gives examples.
For instance, After a famine prompted Isaac to move his family to Gerar (a Philistine city on the border between Palestine and Egypt), he received a vision from the Lord that repeated the covenant promises made to his father, Abraham:
Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father. I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring, all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, (Genesis 26:3–4)
Instead of receiving this with bold confidence, when he arrived in Gerar . . .
When the men of the place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” for he feared to say, “My wife,” thinking, “lest the men of the place should kill me because of Rebekah,” because she was attractive in appearance. (Genesis 26:7)
With difficulty and prodding, the Lord finally brought Isaac into the Promised Land, where He once again repeated the covenant promises to this man: “I am the God of Abraham your father. Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham’s sake.” (Genesis 26:23–24)
Much later, Isaac wanted to bless Esau but discovered this older son had sold his birthright to Jacob. This and other poor choices divided his family. Isaac forfeited God’s blessings and joy by doing his own thing rather than trusting God’s promises. He finally did, but it meant a long time of family havoc.
Ignoring what God tells me is bad enough, but forgetting it is appalling. Even children learn the principles of read, study, memorize, meditate, obedience. To leave out any of these, especially hiding His word in my heart, means repeated trips to the classroom and the sense of wasting much time and effort to learn and relearn.
Yet God is faithful. Despite the reluctance of those OT saints, He kept His promises to them. Even despite my forgetfulness He has faithfully taught me and brought greater resolve to my heart that I might remember and follow through with what He says.
PRAY: Jesus, You alone know my heart and are faithful to give me all that I need to be what You want me to be. Enable me to think more about what You say to me and not be distracted by so many thoughts and ideas that may or may not be helpful in my walk with You. I’m relying on Your faithfulness as mine is not very strong.
PONDER: Keep reading that prayer journal and think about the words that the Lord said to me and that have so much significance, even now. My God is incredibly precious and extremely patient.
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