To Remember...

God wants us to remember. He created us with a memory! Ever thought about that? We use computers and all sorts of technological devices that have some sort of memory. But consider the memory of man! We store images, sounds, smells, and emotions from the past for years and years. Jesus even pictured the rich man in hell remembering his brothers who were still alive (Luke 16:28). Sometimes memory is a good and wonderful thing. And sometimes there are things we would like to forget. But God has made us to remember.

Before Israel went in to possess the land God was giving them, Moses spoke to them. He repeated to them the law of God and charged them to be faithful to God alone. But he also reminded them of all their sins. He vividly told the stories of their unfaithfulness to God: there was the golden calf incident. And "at Taberah also, and at Massah and at Kibroth-hattaavah you provoked the LORD to wrath. And when the LORD sent you from Kadesh-barnea, saying, 'Go up and take possession of the land that I have given you,' then you rebelled against the commandment of the LORD your God and did not believe him or obey his voice. You have been rebellious against the LORD from the day that I knew you" (Deuteronomy 9:22-24, ESV).

Wow, what an indictment! Is that any way to rally the troops before going in to take the land? Besides, isn't God merciful? Is Israel not his people? Why bring up past sins?

God does not cause us to forget our sins. He even brings it up from time to time. But not to rub it in our face. It is God's will for us to remember who we are apart from him, and what he's done for us! God wants us to remain humble; confident only in our God. Remembering our sin gives us a testimony to others. And remembering what God did with our sin gives us reason to rejoice!

God wants us to remember, not only our sins and proneness to apostasy, but also his mighty salvation on our behalf! We are to strengthen ourselves for new battles by remembering the Lord's victory in the past. Moses told the Israelites:
"If you say in your heart, 'These nations are greater than I. How can I dispossess them?' you shall not be afraid of them but you shall remember what the LORD your God did to Pharoah and to all Egypt, the great trials that your eyes saw, the signs, the wonders, the mighty hand, and the outstretched arm, by which the LORD your God brought you out. So will the LORD your God do to all the peoples of whom you are afraid" (Deuteronomy 7:17-19, ESV).

Remembering our sins and sinfulness keeps us humble.
Remembering what God has done with our sins in Christ crucified keeps us rejoicing.

Remember who we are, and who is our God!
Give him glory today, and be encouraged to move ahead with the Lord.

Anxiety Causes Unfruitfulness

You've heard the most famous of Jesus' parables, the Parable of the Sower. In it, Jesus describes the sowing of the seed of God's word, and the different kinds of soils receiving the word. In his explanation of the parable to his disciples, Jesus tells us about one particular kind of soil:

"As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful" (Matthew 13:22, ESV).

I've never had a problem understanding the "deceitfulness of riches" part. Greed and materialism make God's word unfruitful in our lives.

But what are the "cares of the world?" I guess I always thought this was a sinful love of the world, but that's not what it says. So I looked the word up in Verbrugge's New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, Abridged Edition (which I heartily recommend...thanks Luke!) and learned what Jesus is saying.

The Greek word translated "cares" is merimna. It means "anxiety, anxious interest, concern, worry." So Jesus is teaching us that an unhealthy concern or anxious interest in worldly affairs chokes God's word and makes us unfruitful!

What form do these anxious concerns take in our lives? Politics is a big one. Current events and news, sports, finance, health matters, even entertainment and pop culture ("Who's gonna win American Idol????!!!! AAARRRRGGGGGHHHH!!!!" Is this you?) Anytime we are anxious about these matters (or others) we are being choked by the thorns.

Don't quickly pass over the seriousness of this. Whether you call it outright worry, or concern or anxious interest, this is a sin that cripples one from bearing fruit for God and proving to be a genuine convert and real disciple! Worry is absolutely ridiculous for anyone who believes in the sovereignty of God. Worry is unbelief, lack of trust, fear, NO FAITH. Worry questions God's ability (even if not consciously). This is a serious matter!

So what are we supposed to do with our "cares"? The same Greek word (merimna) is used in 2 other texts that show us how God wants us to deal with anxiety.

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you" (1 Peter 5:6-7, ESV).

Instead of being anxious about things in this world, we are to humble ourselves (worry is a form of pride; it takes the matter into its own hands rather than giving it to God) and cast our cares on God!

How do we cast our anxieties on God?

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7, ESV).

So God tells us to cast our anxieties on him through prayer to avoid being choked into unfruitfulness. Praise God! What a lesson, and that's just one tiny part of the parable!

Go bear some fruit!