Spiritual Amnesia

“They forgot the God who saved them, who had done great things in Egypt.”
Psalm 106:21 (NIV)

Israel suffered from spiritual amnesia. The Psalmist says, “They forgot the God who saved them….” Despite the great things He had done for them, defeating the gods of Egypt in the ten plagues and establishing a nation out of a group of slaves, Israel drifted when they forgot their salvation. Have you forgotten your own salvation? The price Jesus paid to deliver you and set you free from sin, from the hurts and habits and hang-ups that once enslaved you?

One of the occupational hazards of our faith is how easy it is to forget our own salvation and begin to drift away from God. The writer of Hebrews must have had this in mind when he wrote this in Hebrews 2:1-3 (NLT/NKJV): “So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it. For the message God delivered through angels has always stood firm, and every violation of the law and every act of disobedience was punished. So what makes us think we can escape if we (neglect) this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus Himself and then delivered to us by those who heard Him speak?”

Warren Wiersbe, a noted author and pastor, said, “This admonition is written to believers, for the writer includes himself when he writes ‘we.’ The danger here is that of neglecting our salvation. Please note that the author did not write ‘rejecting’ but ‘neglecting.’ He is not encouraging sinners to become Christians; rather, he is encouraging Christians to pay attention to the great salvation they have received from the Lord.” 

The penalty for neglecting and forgetting their own salvation was severe. Had not Moses stepped in to intercede for the people, God said He would have destroyed them in Psalm 106:23 (NLT), “So (God) declared He would destroy them. But Moses, His chosen one, stepped between the LORD and the people. He begged Him to turn from His anger and not destroy them.”

The writer of Hebrews warns us that we will not escape if we neglect our own salvation by forgetting the price Jesus paid to ransom us.  Peter reminded Christ followers, “For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom He paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.” 1 Peter 1:18-19 (NLT)

When I find myself taking my salvation for granted, forgetting what my Savior did for me, I’m reminded of an old hymn that brings me back – Lead Me to Calvary.

King of my life, I crown Thee now
Thine shall the glory be
Lest I forget Thy thorn-crowned brow
Lead me to Calvary

Lest I forget Gethsemane
Lest I forget Thine agony
Lest I forget Thy love for me
Lead me to Calvary

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Another important part of your daily devotional is spending time with God in prayer. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board lists prayer requests submitted by our members and provides a way to send them some encouragement by using a button on the page to let them know that you prayed for them. Whether you use the Prayer Board, or pray from your heart, the goal is to build the habit of incorporating prayer into your quiet time.

Need prayer yourself? Let us know by submitting a prayer request on the Woodlands Church Prayer Board.