I walked into the bedroom holding the two pillows from the couch. I tried them out on our bed. Didn’t like the look, so I picked them back up and tried them in another room in the house. Better. But now the pillows left in the living room needed some rearranging. This isn’t a rare event at my house, this switching around of pillows. Or unzipping covers on pillows to find out if the cover underneath is one I like better or not. So many pillow options. In my moment of pillow moving, I looked at Josh and said, “Who knew so much time of being an adult would consist of moving pillows around?!?!” (he probably thought I should speak for myself)
Seriously though, such a non-important thing can really suck some of my time.
I am reading in the Old Testament in Deuteronomy as Moses recounts to the remaining people of God all that they have been through together. In chapter four Moses tells them, “Your eyes have seen what the Lord has done….” He reminds them that no other nation has a god like their God. Then he gives further words of remembrance and caution.
“Only give heed to yourself and keep your soul diligently, so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen and they do no depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your sons and grandsons.”
He goes on and tells them to REMEMBER. He says, WATCH YOURSELVES CAREFULLY. And again, WATCH YOURSELVES so that you don’t forget the convenant of the Lord your God that He made with you. He says TAKE IT TO HEART that the Lord, He is God in heaven above and on earth below; there is no other.
These words are spoken by Moses, a man who didn’t get to actually go in to possess The Promised Land, despite all of his leading of some very difficult people. He didn’t listen and obey completely what God said to him when he was supposed to speak to the rock and cause water to rush out for the thirsty travelers. Instead, he called them rebellious (true!) and then struck the rock twice (probably out of complete frustration!). But that wasn’t what God told him to do. G.Campell Morgan says about Exodus 20:11 that “What Moses did was most natural. Therein lay the wrong of it.” Wow. Just because something is most natural—or maybe especially when something is most natural—we should take a breath and seek the Lord on the matter.
Moses spoke to the remaining children of Israel from a pure heart that wanted to warn them that they could miss out on what God has for them if they don’t REMEMBER His works, WATCH THEMSELVES and TAKE TO HEART who God is. He wanted to sober them up completely and remind them of Who is truly in charge and totally holy. Verses 24 and 31 are great reminders from Moses who experienced all of Who God is—“For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God” and “For the Lord your God is a compassionate God and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and soul.” He is both. Don’t miss it, people of God! Don’t go to this amazing land and forget Who God is.
Moses had seen the people of God turn their back on God and worship a golden calf. He had heard their complaints and grumblings. He had experienced their pride and anger when some wanted his position…and he’d seen them swallowed up by the ground.
I may not have a golden statue sitting on my mantle to worship in place of God. I may not ever beg to return to some time in my past when I was a slave. It is likely more subtle—like spending too much time rearranging pillows. Or spending money too carelessly because life is just so stressful right now, what does it hurt to roam Target for some treats to get us through this dumb summer? Or maybe I allow myself to worry about my kids’ futures —but, seriously, one second is too much time to worry. Is He God or not? Is there none beside Him or not? Is He for me or not? Is He good or not? Does He withhold good from His children or not? Does He know the plans He has for us or not? Is He worth spending my life for or not?
Just like the children of Israel, I can easily forget His perfect track record. I can easily feel forgotten and decide to take things into my own hands. I can grumble and express my bitterness for what I don’t have that I think I should have or what I do have that I don’t want.
So as I read from Deuteronomy, I thought to myself, “Kristy, watch yourself so that you don’t spend most of your adult life doing something empty like moving throw pillows from room to room. Pay attention to what God wants for you!” {And if you’ve been around her long enough you know I don’t count mundane things as unimportant things. Those are sometimes THE very things God is asking me to do with more heart and kindness….the point is to REMEMBER and WATCH YOURSELF and TAKE TO HEART what God is showing you, how He has dealt with you and how to spend your life for Him.}
the end.
