The Pastor's Place

I've been plowing through Deuteronomy in my daily Bible reading lately.  Today I read from Deuteronomy 23-25.  How many times in these passages does Moses remind the Israelites to, "Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord redeemed you from your slavery" (24:18)?

As a pastor, I often counsel people to not dwell on the past, but it is clear that God doesn't want Israel to forget theirs. So why is God so emphatic?  I believe that our tendency is to forget where we came from because we are so busy running from our past.  Another reason may have to do with my forward momentum.  I can have serious tunnel vision in my pursuit of plans and goals (and there are many times that others suffer because of it).

Our past is a touchstone of God's grace and goodness. I love to sing of His redemptive work!  In the rush of my life and ministry, I need a continual reminder of what God has done for me. We must remember that His work in our lives becomes the benchmark for how we are supposed to treat other people. (Check out Jesus' instruction in Luke 10:25-27 for a great illustration of this!)  We must not forget that WE are part of His redemptive work in the lives of others! 

God's admonition to Israel applies to each of us.  Why not take a little time today to reflect on God's great "grace" work in your life?  Spend a few minutes in reflection and consider how He has delivered you from slavery into the promised land of freedom.  How does His work in your life affect how you treat others today? Allow me to paraphrase the instruction again: "When you get to where you're going, don't forget where you came from!"

Labels: grace, past, redemption, remember, slavery