When did I forget. . . ?

No one wants to be forgotten. It is a small child's greatest fear. It is a the greatest fear of those nearing the end of their lives. Forgotten.

Webster's second definition of the word forget is, "To treat with inattention or disregard; to slight; to neglect." To forget means we have had memory or knowledge of something at the start. At some point, whether through inattention or neglect, we forget that which we know to be true.

I love the stories about Nehemiah in the Old Testament. Nehemiah was in the service of King Artaxerxes of Susa. He learns from Hanani, his brother, that his homeland of Jerusalem is in danger. The walls surrounding his beloved city have been destroyed and his people are in grave danger. King Artaxerxes notices his despair and listens to his concerns. Nehemiah wants to rebuild the city! The king grants his request. That was easy.

Of course, the rebuilding is not easy. There is opposition, specifically by two men named Sanballat and Tobiah. Camps are formed and plans are made to halt the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. Nemehiah 4:8 "They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it."

Here is my favorite verse of this chapter, verse 9, "BUT WE PRAYED to our God. . ." I do not think Nehemiah forgot who God was or what He could do! They did not run, they did not hide, they did not quarrel amongst themselves or complain, they prayed.

In my devotions this morning there was this line regarding a story of a woman's faith, "Through prayer, she regained a proper perspective of God." My perspective of God is often times shaped by my surroundings and my circumstances. However, the author of this devotional was saying that prayer can "right" a "wrong" perspective.

When did I forget that God has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand? When did I forget that the breadth of His hand marked off the heavens? When did I forget that He holds the dust of the earth in a basket or that He weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills on a balance? (Isaiah 40:12)

"To whom, then, will you compare God? What image will you compare him to?" (Isaiah 40:18) What earthly image is there to compare God? As difficult as it is for me to wrap my mind around the concept of eternity this verse reminds me that it is equally difficult to even begin to compare Him to anything that I can see, touch, feel, or experience.

When did I forget. . . ?