Don't Forget...

I’m sure you have heard the saying- don’t look back- you’re not going that way. This sign was plastered on the wall of my counseling office to remind my clients of the beauty in the journey. However, I would venture there is a difference between looking back and remembering.

If you recall in Genesis, when Sodom and Gomorrah was destroyed, God gave Lot and his wife specific instructions not to look back- but Lot’s wife looked back and she turned into a pillar of salt. Extreme right? I believe there is a difference between this kind of looking back and wishing for our way and remembering redemption.

In Genesis 19, when Sodom and Gomorrah is destroyed, the Hebrew word used for look back is nabat. To nabat means to look intently at something with pleasure or care. Therefore, instead of simply the act of looking over her shoulder, she was looking back with intention and longing for another time.

On the other hand, to remember in Hebrew is zakar. To zakar is to remember, recall, bring to mind. Zakar is not a term of regret, but a term of thankfulness. To be mindful means to be fully aware. Awareness of God’s presence is a spiritual mandate. But when we are mindful and focused- God brings his glory to our awareness.

It was important for the Israelites to zakar- to call to mind- when they were slaves in Egypt. Through zakar, freedom is so much sweeter. If you have been in bondage, it is important to remember the chains so you know what it is like to walk in freedom. If you were blind, remember, so you can rejoice in the light of day when you can see. If you forget what it is like to be blind, then seeing in full color wont produce a spirit of thankfulness.

I think this was the primary problem with the grumbling Israelites- a description that was all too true. They couldn’t complain enough. And why- because the memory of their life in Egypt was fabricated. Instead of dwelling on the facts, they created an alternate reality in their mind which distorted their memory. So when they looked back on their time in Egypt, they were not thankful for their current reality because their memory and perception were false.

In a sense, they created their own misery. And isn’t this true for all of us! We create our current misery by remembering incorrectly. We ascribe false truths to an alternate reality. And in a sense, the hell we once lived doesn’t seem as bad when our current reality is less than desirable. But instead our perspective should be, “WOW- look how far we have come from where we have been.” “Look how God saved and redeemed us.”

But if we finally remember the bondage- the redemption doesn’t taste as sweet and we become wrongly resentful of our good God.

Psalm 40, “He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my foot on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.”

We must remember how deep the mud and mire were- to appreciate the redemptive grace Jesus offers. If we remember the pit as a spa, then why would we even need redemption?

I never want to forget why I need redemption I want to zakar what it is like to be completely blind so the amazing grace has a sweet sound.

If I forget, I become prideful. If I forget, I become arrogant. If I forget, I become complacent. When I remember, I am humbled. When I remember, I can taste the full measure of grace. When I remember, I see God for the good God he is. When I remember I can look back with thanksgiving and not regret. When I remember, I don’t become a pillar of salt, but a useful and willing vessel.

What a switch! Mindset is a gift from God. He gives us the gift of perspective. And oh what a beautiful gift. And please, don’t forget it!