It happens so quickly, without our even noticing really.  Life just gets full and schedules crammed.  A wonderful woman I know calls them “sandwich days”–everything is just piled on top of each other. It doesn’t all fit and something has to go.  You know what the something is, don’t you?

Life calls and kids call and dinner calls and the boss calls and the empty pantry calls and something just has to give.

I don’t think many of us who earnestly love the Lord really intend to leave Him out of nearly so many of our days as He actually gets left out of.  It just happens. Over and over again, it just happens. Great intentions just don’t find a translation into our appointment book.

Here’s the problem though.  If we leave Him out of our days too often we start to forget things.  If we aren’t purposefully putting Him before us, two things happen. One, we start to forget what we knew, and two, we don’t learn anything new to replace it!

Moses knew that this was the way it worked.  Throughout Deuteronomy, he reminds the Israelites of where they’ve been, what they’ve been through, what God has done for them and revealed to them.  He knew that if they weren’t constantly reminded of these things, they’d start to lose them.  Then they would stop seeing the importance of having known them at all.  Next thing they’d know, they’d be killing their kids like barbaric pagans!  Moses saw it all coming.

He attempted to help them remember, he attempted to give them instructions that they could live by, he attempted to give them some step by step tools to keep them moving forward.

Observe the commands of the Lord your God, walking in His ways and revering Him.                                                                                           Deuteronomy 8:6

There are a few truths that we have to concede to:  if you don’t do something very often, you’re going to forget how.  Not all of life is like riding a bike.  If you aren’t moving forward, there is a really good chance you’re moving back.  Not much in life is actually sedentary, most things move one way or the other.

A common fear I hear about when someone has lost a loved one is that they are afraid that they will forget about them, their face, their voice, their mannerisms. This is a legitimate fear because that person isn’t there as a constant reminder of those things.  When something isn’t in front of you, it just gets easier and easier to forget.  Actually, it seems to happen without our even noticing.

Moses’s instructions to his people were designed to keep some things out in front, right before their faces.

Observe the commands of the Lord.  He means learn them, he means know them like the back of your hand, he means that we should spend time every day looking at them, pondering them, contemplating their meaning and value.  If you want to make sure that you don’t backslide, if you want to keep moving forward, plug away at observance. Find a way to integrate the Word into your life and your day and your work and your conversations.

Walk in His ways.  You take the info in, but then you do something with it.  Plenty of really smart people can learn all about what the Bible has to say.  Knowing doesn’t translate to growth until it moves from your head to your hands.

Revere Him.  I really like this word.  It means to regard with respect and love and fear and awe.  It has both a fearful, impersonal side but also a sweet, endearing side to it.   It’s a good word for how we are to relate to the Lord.  He is, like Aslan, both frightening and powerful, and tender and intimate.

We are to see both sides of our Maker.  We need to recognize and acknowledge the fact that He is due every minute of your time, He deserves to have every line of your calendar say “taken for the Lord Himself.” We also need to see His attention to us as personal and kind, sweet and affectionate, near and gentle.

If you do not remember the Lord daily, you may very well forget Him slowly.  If you do not grow in spirit, you will wither in your soul. If you are not purposeful in your walk, you may find yourself irrevocably far from your intended destination.

Life is going to happen, your schedule will not slow down any time soon, there will always be someone who needs you.  We give time to that which we deem important.  How important is your walk with the God who loves you?