4 Dangers of Forgetfulness in the Desert
Background reading: Psalm 106
Top song on the Israelite’s Spotify list.
In 1986, Janet Jackson released one of her catchiest tunes of the decade. The amazingly easy-to-memorize chorus—don’t look it up or it’ll get stuck in your head—asks a question that could just as well summarize the entirety of the Old Testament.
“Oo-oo-ooh yeah, what have you done for me lately?”
In fact, the Bible tells story after story about a VERY forgetful group of people.
God was always doing amazing things for the Israelites, but their memory and gratitude were lacking.
When they were slaves in Egypt, God sent 10 crazy plagues to convince Pharaoh to let them go. Then the moment they reached the Red Sea, they freaked out and said Moses had brought them there to die.
Then God parted the Red Sea, allowing them to walk through it on dry land. They made it safely across, and all their adversaries drowned. Shortly after that, Moses went up on the mountain to meet with God about the Ten Commandments, and the Israelites got bored and tired of waiting. They asked Aaron to make them a golden calf, a false god they could worship.
When they were thirsty in the desert, God gave them water from a rock. They complained that it was bitter.
When they were hungry on their journey, God sent them manna from heaven. They complained they wanted meat.
God sent them quail to eat, and they complained about how much they missed the vegetables in Egypt. Yes, Egypt, the place where they had just been slaves.
When God asked Moses to send out spies to scout the Promised Land, they returned scared about the occupants. They said, “They’re too big. They’ll eat us alive. We’ll be like grasshoppers to them.”
Finally, when they entered the Promised Land, they worshipped false gods again. And when they saw that other people had kings, they demanded they have one, too – even though God had always been their faithful Provider, Protector and Guide.
Let’s face it: the Israelites, God’s chosen people, were a forgetful, whiny, scared, and ungrateful hot mess.
And the worst part about it? We’re just like them.
““We have sinned, even as our ancestors did; we have done wrong and acted wickedly.” ”
Psalm 106:6 says, “We have sinned, even as our ancestors did; we have done wrong and acted wickedly.”
Close your eyes and think back for a moment.
· Can you think of a time when you felt extremely close to God?
· Can you remember a moment when His presence was so palpable it was overwhelming?
· Can you think of a time when you saw Him do something incredible for you, your family or someone in your church? A time when it was unmistakably God at work?
Now, think about this…
How long did it take before you moved right back into your next frustration, worry or complaint?
Weeks? Days? Minutes? Seconds?
Turns out we all have a lot in common with the Israelites!
4 Dangers of Forgetfulness
The Israelites illustrate at least four dangers of what happens when we’re forgetful in the desert.
1. We get upset.
When gratitude fades, so does our joy. Ain’t nothing gonna make us happy when we dwell in the land of forgetfulness!
When God gives us bread from heaven, we say, “Oh, but I really wanted chicken.” When he gives us chicken, we say, “What I wouldn’t give for a cool cucumber or a sweet piece of watermelon!”
“We become miserable, and we’re miserable to be around.””
When we forget about God’s goodness and focus on our problems instead, we get whiny, grumpy, and mean. We become miserable, and we’re miserable to be around.
2. We have regrets.
When the Israelites got bored and lonely, they started worshipping other gods.
Now you may not be prone to melting down your jewelry into golden cow—partially because (if you’re like me) Target’s jewelry is plastic—but it certainly doesn’t take us long to shift our worship and dependence on God to false sources of joy, security and peace.
Idol worship might look like acting, dressing or talking a certain way to get the popular crowd to like us. It might look like looking at pictures or videos on the internet for a quick jolt of excitement. It might look like binging on food or substances to numb the pain of what we’re feeling. Or it might be as simple as trying to take power and control over people or situations that we have no business controlling.
Here’s the thing: when we turn to false gods for comfort, security, or joy, we’ll make a royal mess of things. We’ll always end up feeling empty and full of regret.
3. We start to sweat.
The Israelites faced one consequence after another for their forgetfulness. For starters, they spent 40 years wandering in the desert. Can you imagine that?! 40 years! I nearly lost my sanity over a recent three-day heat wave. They faced diseases and famine, and at times, God allowed them to be defeated by their enemies. In at least one case, a giant hole opened in the ground and swallowed some of them whole! (Look it up: Psalm 106:17)
Hopefully, you won’t find yourself in a literal hole in the ground, but when we make bad decisions, we do have to face the consequences. That might look like broken relationships, punishments, addictions or even just hurtful words we can’t take back.
Forgetfulness leads to boneheaded decisions, and boneheaded decisions lead to pain and heartache.
4. We fret.
When the Israelites forgot about all God had done for them, they were consumed by worry. The Egyptians pursuit brought terror. The Red Sea seemed uncrossable. They feared where their next meal would come from. They imagined they’d be forgotten and left all alone to die, defenseless in the desert.
And let’s face it, it’s not all that hard to imagine how the Israelites felt, because it’s so easy for us all to slip back into that space of anxiety and fear. I know I do.
“This situation feels impossible, and I can’t see a way out.”
“My problems are bigger than I can possibly handle!”
“God, where are you? Can you even hear me?!”
I’m anxious far more often than I care to admit, and it all boils down to forgetting God just how much God loves me and that He is in control.
God is Not.
Here’s the great news…
We may be forgetful, but God is not.
We may be fickle, but God is not.
We may be quick to anger and making rash decisions, but God is not.
No, God is not like that at all! Instead, He is full of love, forgiveness and grace.
Psalm 106:43-46 says it like this: “Many times he delivered them, but they were bent on rebellion, and they wasted away in their sin. Yet he took note of their distress when he heard their cry; for their sake he remembered his covenant and out of his great love he relented. He caused all who held them captive to show them mercy.”
So are you frustrated?
Do you have regrets?
Are you facing the consequences of bad decisions and bad behavior?
Do you worry what in the world is going to happen to you next?
If you are hurting, angry, lonely or afraid, you don’t have to stay there!
“If you are hurting, angry, lonely or afraid, you don’t have to stay there!”
God is patient. God loves you. He wants to forgive you. He wants to restore you. He wants to walk beside you and even carry you.
You don’t have to stay in this hole. God wants to lift you out of whatever hopeless situation you face and make you whole again.
So, how then shall we respond?
Remember. God is the same yesterday, today and forever. He’s always been faithful, and He always will be.
Repair. Ask for forgiveness. Start over right now. You don’t have to stay in whatever desert you’ve found yourself.
Rely. Trust Him. Turn to Him. He is enough for whatever situation you face. He is all you need.
What has God done for you lately?
Everything! Absolutely everything. Let us not forget.