By Mark Collins,
Pastor of United Methodist Church
And know ye this day: for I speak not with your children which have not known, and which have not seen the chastisement of the Lord your God, his greatness, his mighty hand, and his stretched out arm, Deuteronomy 11:2 (KJV)
Through Moses, God is charging the people that you must love the Lord your God and always obey his requirements, decrees, regulations, and commands. Moses is not talking to the children, who have never experienced the discipline of the Lord or seen his greatness, his strong hand and powerful arm. He is addressing the generation which saw the works of God among Israel, both in blessing and chastening. He is speaking to the generation that knew and should remember.
In this verse “know” is to remember, actually it is more than just remembering. To know is also to acknowledge and consider what God has done with diligence and thankfulness. God wants his children to be persistent, to make a persistent effort in the things of God. To be thankful for all God has done for us, our family, church, community, and our nation. Oh how we forget the blessings in life so quickly.
It seems to me that we have a short memory, or could it be more of a selective memory. We have no problem remembering the worst of times but the good times seem to fade away. Bad news travels quickly and many are eager to listen while good news is generally only shared between the closest friends. The same also goes for our faith; we know what God has done for us so why are we not sharing it with the world?
The time had come for the Israelites to cross over into the promised land. Many were young when God brought them out of Egypt and journeyed through the wilderness. Yet they had seen the mighty Hand of the Lord and what He can do. Now it’s time for them to press on, be diligent, and move forward. Today we have stepped into something new with business and church closings and social distancing. God tells Israel to obey His commands so they will have strength to take over the land and to share their experience with their children. We need that strength today to move forward.
Through our love toward God and following the path God has set before us, we become stronger. A stronger person, a stronger church and we can become a stronger nation. We need those who know now, I’m talking about those who have experienced Christ, who have experienced the discipline of the Lord and seen His greatness, His strong hand and powerful arm. We need those who can teach the next generation the ways of God, sharing with them the Love of our Savior Jesus Christ.
Church, God is talking to you, Church leaders, God is talking to you, not to those that don’t believe or to those outside the faith. God is not expecting the same from those young in the faith. It is past time for mature believers to stand up for what’s right, for the ways of God. Don’t expect the president or governor to straighten out this mess; it’s up to us.
Since I started writing this article there have been protests and riots all across our nation and many are showing their true colors. I’m not talking about skin color but the color and condition of their heart. What happened was wrong and I pray that the peaceful demonstrator will bring about change and lives will be saved. But what’s the difference between a life taken by a police officer and a life taken by someone else? What about the amount of homicides, overdoses, death from abuse, and neglect? All life is precious. Christ died for all. If we are going to protest, let us stand first for the most vulnerable, the unborn. We have thrown millions of our babies in the trash and we say life matters. Abortion has devastated our country and taught a disregard for human life. God knows and God remembers each and every one of these precious lives. Thank you, Lord, for the gift of life, forgive us for not holding each life precious. Amen.
