Lest We Forget
"Lest We Forget" is a phrase commonly used in war remembrance
services, and commemorative occasions in English speaking countries.
In 1897, Rudyard Kipling wrote a poem called "Recessional". This
phrase "Lest We Forget" was repeated eight times. It was emphasized
to show that people often easily forgot things and events. It highlighted the
dangers of failing to remember.
'God of our fathers, known of old,
Lord of our far-flung battle line,
Beneath whose awful hand we hold
Dominion over palm and pine—
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget—lest we forget!'
This thought of being careful not to forget is founded in the
Bible.
Deuteronomy 4:5-10
5 “Surely I have taught you statutes and judgments, just as the Lord
my God commanded me, that you should act according to them in the
land which you go to possess.
6 Therefore be careful to observe them; for this is your
wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will
hear all these statutes, and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a
wise and understanding people.’
7 “For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the
Lord our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him?
8 And what great nation is there that has such statutes and
righteous judgments as are in all this law which I set before you
this day?
9 Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself,
lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and
lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life.
And teach them to your children and your grandchildren,
10 especially concerning the day you stood before the Lord your God
in Horeb, when the Lord said to me, ‘Gather the people to Me, and I
will let them hear My words, that they may learn to fear Me all the
days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their
children.’
Deuteronomy 4:23
Take heed to yourselves, lest you forget
the covenant of the Lord your God which He made with you, and make
for yourselves a carved image in the form of anything which the Lord
your God has forbidden you.
Deuteronomy 6:12
then beware, lest you forget the Lord who brought
you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
While the people in the world remember their fallen soldiers lost
in warfare for the sacrifices they had made, with a two-minute
silence, we must remember what the Lord has done for us. We must
remember the words He has spoken to us.
The laws and commandments the Lord had given us are for us to
remember and obey. We cannot forget what He had commanded us. We
need to trust and obey Him accordingly and carefully.
When God gave Israel His laws and commandments, the other nations
acknowledged that the nation of Israel was wise and understanding.
No other nation was as great as Israel was. Their gods were not
loving and approachable, but the Lord was near to those who prayed
to Him. No other nation had such good teachings and commandments.
Therefore, we must be careful and watchful! We must not forget the
things that the Lord has done for us, and the words He has spoken to
us. We must not forget them as long as we live. We must teach them
faithfully to our children and grandchildren. We must revere and
respect the Lord as long as we live.
Forgetfulness is a common problem in our life! It is a normal part
of aging. As we get older, there are many changes occurring in all
parts of our bodies, especially the brain. As a result, we may find
that it takes longer to learn new things. We also don't remember
information as well as we did in the past. We will often lose things
like our glasses, not knowing where we have placed them.
We often forget to thank people for the good they have done for us!
We often fail and forget to say sorry for the wrongs we have done
towards others! We also forget to teach our children and grandchildren in the
ways of the Lord! And we also forget the Lord by not spending
quality time with Him in prayer and worship! Sadly, many people died
without loving people they ought to love, thanking people they ought
to thank, and forgiving people they ought to forgive! They didn't
because they forgot!
Luke 6:32-33
“But if you love those who love you, what credit is
that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.
33 And if you do good to those who do good to you,
what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.
We need to love others even if not loved by them. We need to do
good to others even if not appreciated by them. We need to give thanks to
others even if not welcomed by them. We need to forgive others even
if not forgiven by them.
We often forget to do valuable things when we procrastinate. We just put away
important tasks by placing them in our KIV trays! And our KIV trays
are overflowing with many things we have forgotten! Not only now,
but many years ago!
All of us have 24 hours a day, no more and no less. How well we
manage our lives depend largely on how well we manage our time and
priorities.
There was a professor who did this experiment with his students. One
day, he brought some unusual objects into his class. As the lecture
began, without uttering a single word, he picked up a very large but
empty transparent jar, and placed it on the top of his table.
He began to fill the jar with some big pebbles. As the pebbles
reached the brim of the jar, he asked his students whether the jar
was full. They answered, "Yes, it is full!"
The professor simply smiled at their answer. He then picked up a
plastic bag of small pebbles, and poured them into the same jar. As
he poured, he shook the jar gently. All the small pebbles filled the
gaps between the larger pebbles. He again asked the same question,
"Is the jar full now?" His students were wiser this time, and they
answered, "Maybe."
The professor laughed. He then picked up a plastic bag of sand, and
then poured all the contents into the same jar. As he poured, he
shook the jar a little. The sand filled up every gap between the big
and small pebbles. He then asked his class whether the jar was full
this time around. His students replied, "Yes!"
The professor then took a kettle, which he had hidden under the
table. He began to pour its entire contents into the jar. As he did
so, there was a fragrant aroma of freshly brewed coffee filling the
air! The whole kettle of coffee filled up all the empty spaces left
by the big pebbles, small pebbles and the sand! The students burst
out laughing.
As their laughter subsided, the professor told them, "This
experiment is about first things first. This jar represents our
life. The big pebbles are the most important things in our lives
such as God, our families, our children, our health, our friends and
our ministries. The smaller pebbles are the important things in our
lives such as our jobs, our houses and our cars. The sand represents
the less important things in our lives such as watching TV,
window-shopping and gossiping."
"If we put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there will
be no room for the small pebbles and the big pebbles. This is the
same in our lives. If we spend all our time and energy on the less
important things, we will never have the time to do the more
important things in our lives. But if we do the first things first,
there will always be room and time for all the things in our lives -
the most important things, the important things and also the less
important things! This is setting our priorities right!"
As the professor concluded his wonderful speech, one of his students
raised his hand and asked, "Sir, what about the coffee?"
The professor smiled, "I'm glad you asked. It tells us that no
matter how full and busy our lives may seem to be, there is always
room for a few cups of coffee with a friend."
When we place God first in our life, we will always have room for
other essential things, and also a cup of coffee!
Matthew 6:33
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all
these things shall be added to you.
We will always remember what He has done for us, and what He had
spoken to us! And we will give thanks to the Lord as we are not
entitled to receive His love, grace and mercy, and yet He has so freely
bestowed upon us! So undeserving, yet loved by Him!
We must remember, lest we forget!
Written on 14 March 2022