"I will never forget you." ~Isaiah 49:15
In Disney's classic 1967 animated film, The Jungle Book, the chief of the elephants, Colonel Hathti, turns to his wife Winifred while on patrol and tells her, "An elephant never forgets." They lead the elephant patrol, securing the jungle from any threat. Their exceptionally sharp memory enables them to remember all the goings on, thereby better protecting the other animals. Contrary to cartoon depictions of elephants with peanut-sized brains, elephants have large brains with large temporal lobes giving them extraordinary memory. They can remember people, places, and events for many years. If a creature, such as an elephant, can remember for many years, why do we think the eternal God cannot remember us, especially during challenging times? Scripture is replete with people lamenting they are forsaken by God. Even Jesus said while on the cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" a quote from Psalm 22. Jesus gives us the remedy to this feeling while he was in the wilderness for 40 days. Once again, Jesus quotes Scripture when he tells Satan, "Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God" (Matt 4:4). Looking at Jesus's reference to Deuteronomy, we see the "bread" is referring to the manna God gave to the Israelites wandering the desert. They were humbled to understand that their nourishment came directly from God, not simply from food. Satan was testing Jesus. Depending on how well you study, you'll either pass or fail when you take a test. It's a humbling and often frustrating moment when you don't know the answers; on the flip side, it's an empowering experience to confidently ace the quiz. You'll perceive Satan is trying to drive a wedge between you and the Father when you feel God has forgotten you. If you haven't spent time in God's Word, it will be hard to remove the wedge. But if you "hid His Word in your heart" (Psalm 119:11), then recalling His Word will pull that wedge right out. His Word proves He has not forgotten you! If an elephant doesn't forget us, then surely our God cannot forget us either (Isa 49:8). It is up to us not to forget Him. Always improve the present moment.
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