Few us will ever forget Janice Jackson’s suspect wardrobe “mishaps” at the hands of Justin Timberlake during the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show, when the term “wardrobe malfunction” became a household word.
But not too long ago during a communion message at church, another malfunction was mentioned––a more serious one—and one that occurs more often than it should. Memory Malfunction.
I am not talking about forgetting where we put the keys or a missed appointment, but forgetting, in times of difficulty, all that God has already done for us.
Our youth pastor was reminding the congregation of the Israelites own faulty memory. Though God had led them out of Egypt, miraculously made a way for them to escape through the Red Sea, and provided them with food daily, the minute they hit a rough spot, they complained, sometimes to the point of blaming Moses for ever taking them out of Egypt. So soon were those hardships and His consequent blessings forgotten.
And this, unfortunately, is a fault many of us have in general. Most teachers would agree that it only takes one nasty parent phone call to discount all the positives that have occurred before. Others will attest that one person’s negative feedback erases all the kudos others have given them.
So when it comes to our present difficulties, let’s try hard not be like the Israelites who so soon forget God’s providence and protection just because He hasn’t responded immediately. Instead let us be like David when he says, “Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things he does for me” (NLT).
But not too long ago during a communion message at church, another malfunction was mentioned––a more serious one—and one that occurs more often than it should. Memory Malfunction.
I am not talking about forgetting where we put the keys or a missed appointment, but forgetting, in times of difficulty, all that God has already done for us.
Our youth pastor was reminding the congregation of the Israelites own faulty memory. Though God had led them out of Egypt, miraculously made a way for them to escape through the Red Sea, and provided them with food daily, the minute they hit a rough spot, they complained, sometimes to the point of blaming Moses for ever taking them out of Egypt. So soon were those hardships and His consequent blessings forgotten.
And this, unfortunately, is a fault many of us have in general. Most teachers would agree that it only takes one nasty parent phone call to discount all the positives that have occurred before. Others will attest that one person’s negative feedback erases all the kudos others have given them.
So when it comes to our present difficulties, let’s try hard not be like the Israelites who so soon forget God’s providence and protection just because He hasn’t responded immediately. Instead let us be like David when he says, “Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things he does for me” (NLT).
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