7 times 7 - Remember me

After nearly two weeks, since my last post, I am happy to report that the Word is speaking and I no longer feel deaf to it. After being so moved months ago by this passage, it had seemed cold and distant - depressing and hopeless. I was moving through the Psalms, reading this passage as it recounted much of Numbers and studying Deuteronomy and the whole world just seemed lost in rebellion and despair. If God's people were in such a state, what hope did we have for a fallen world? But this morning I heard a sweet word of hope, a promise of faithfulness and a source of provision which pointed me back to the over-arching theme that had filled me with such joy the first time I read this passage. To summarize in one word - remember.

As I have been finishing Deuteronomy, I approached the death of Moses, where God speaks to him explaining the upcoming fall of Israel. God tells Moses that the people of Israel will forget the Lord and follow the idols of the neighboring lands and reject the word Moses had so faithfully preached. They would lose the promise land to opposing kingdoms as they suffered the consequence of their sin and rejection of God. This probably wasn't hard for Moses to imagine, given the great number of times the people had rejected God and Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. But I always felt bad for Moses. His life work was a waste. He brought a nation to the promise land and God's word to him before he dies basically tells him that everything he tried to teach the nation of Israel will be forgotten. How depressing!

But then you read past this final word God speaks to Moses and you see the final word Moses speaks to Israel - he blesses them. Immediately before his death in Deut 33, Moses blesses each tribe with peace, prosperity and great power. How could he say this knowing their fate? Because Moses knew something greater than the sin of Israel - he knew the great faithfulness of God.

Moses did not need to rely on the people being obedient and remembering all he had taught them. They would forget, they would sin and they would fall away. But God is God forever. Moses says "There is none like the God of Israel, who rides the heavens to your help, and through the skies in His majesty...Blessed are you, O Israel; who is like you, a people saved by the Lord, who is the shield of your help and the sword of your majesty." (Deut 33:26,29)

Psalm 106 ends with the same theme Moses ends his blessing - by turning from the wayward hearts of men to the faithfulness of God. "Nevertheless He looked upon their distress when He heard their cry; and He remembered His covenant for their sake ad relented according to the greatness of His lovingkindness. He also made them objects of compassion in the presence of all their captors." (vs 44-46)

What is the answer to the pain and despair we feel when we see the fallen world or our own fallen hearts? What do we do when we hear the whisper of the enemy telling us again how we have failed? Where do we go when we know that everything we offer is still not enough?

We remember - we remember that we are saved by grace, not by our own deeds (Eph2:8). We remember that we are a chosen people - and God Himself chose us (1 Pet 2:9-10). We remember that we can overcome what we experience in this world, because we are from God and the One in us is greater than the one in the world (1 John 4:4). We remember that God loved us so much that He sent His Son to die in our place, to offer us eternal life (John 3:16) We remember His word - His eternal and perfect Word, which revives us, no matter what our affliction. (Psalm 119:89-94)

We remember the weight of the world is not on our shoulders - but we rest securely in His hands. Ephesians 6 teaches us that to stand firm in this world, overcoming both trials and temptation and the schemes of the devil himself, we are to put on the armor of God. We don't defend ourselves by trying harder or doing better. We wrap ourselves up in the Lord. His Word is our defense. (Eph 6:10-17)

When Jesus is tempted in the desert, his answer to Satan is simple "it is written". Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, does not crush the devil in the might of His power (even though he does 3 years later when he conquers sin and death and hell). Jesus doesn't call on the heavenly host, although they were His to command, as we read in Matt 26:53. Jesus chooses to use the most powerful weapon under all of heaven and earth - the Word. Jesus speaks "it is written" and the devil leaves Him.

Our salvation is based on the grace of God alone - but the Lord does not leave us ill-equipped to face the world in these trying times. We have the same power Jesus used - we have the Word. We are called to remember His word and abide in His word.

Paul writes amazing words to the people in Corinth saying "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down but not destroyed....Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing in us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal." (2 Cor. 4:7-8, 16-18)

We have all we need to overcome in this life and praise the Lord, it isn't on us! It is His word - which He has graciously given to us. Soak in it, abide in it, meditate on it, delight in it - this is our gift - this is our defense - this is our joy - this is our strength.