Forgetting is a normal thing. We all experience forgetfulness. We can’t recall a word we want to use to explain something. We can’t remember the name of that great book we read or the movie we saw. And we know faces but can’t recall their names. That’s normal.
Is it normal, though, to forget what you know about God?
To misidentify whom you know God to be?
Have you ever forgotten about the goodness of God?
Or about the knowledge of God’s character?
If you have been a follower of Christ for any amount of time, I can almost imagine your response and see your physical demeanor: eyes closed, hand to heart, your head shaking back and forth as you silently declare, No! I could never forget about God! I’m not implying that you don’t know the Lord, your God. You know scripture. You have seen Him move in unexpected ways. You know He is faithful. But sometimes, the understanding and sight of that knowledge is hindsight, not foresight. It is because you have walked through “that season.” You know, the dry season when your prayers seem to leave your lips only to collide with the ceiling and fall flat in your heart. Or that dark season when you can’t explain the funk in your spirit that hangs like stale air, making it hard to function or breathe. Even worse, the devastating season. The season of grief. The season of loss. The season when things didn’t go the way you had planned or hoped. Loved ones lost. Friendships shattered. Dreams dashed.
They can feel like unyielding seasons. And God can feel distant. In those times, you may misidentify how our Savior is working in the situation or plain draw a blank on who God is to you. It’s like you have amnesia, and you can’t pull up in your mind or your emotions who God is, what the Word says, and what you know to be true. During these kinds of seasons, I have misidentified and even forgotten.
I have forgotten that God is not a respecter of persons.
I have forgotten that He is omniscient and omnipresent.
I have forgotten that His promises are yes and amen.
I have forgotten to remember His faithfulness despite my failures.
I have forgotten that I know who He is and who holds my future.
I have forgotten His provisions and taken matters into my own hands.
I have forgotten that I was knit together in my mother’s womb with purpose.
I have forgotten that I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
I have forgotten that the same power that raised Christ from the dead dwells in me.
I have forgotten that He is a God of grace.
I have misidentified His sovereignty with His ability.
I have been there, knowing Jesus as my Savior and living my life set apart while my spirit is at rock bottom. When I hit rock bottom, I find myself standing before El Roi, just as Hagar did. He is the God who sees me.
She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who
sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” (Genesis
16:13; emphasis added)
We are going to come back to this story in detail, and I can’t wait!