Tuesday,  Nov. 19, 2013 • Vol. 16--No. 126 • 17 of 37

AWARE OF GOD'S PRESENCE

• When days are good and times are trouble-free, we often forget that God is present in our lives and protecting us from possible tragedies. This seems to be a very real fact of history - for individuals and nations.
• The children of Israel believed in God. They were aware of His goodness and grace, presence and power and had experienced them on many occasions. But they often left Him out of their plans - like we do - and times became difficult for them as they do for us. Then, when situations became uncontrollable or beyond their - or our - ability to manage, they called on God to deliver them - like we do.
• As they became absorbed in the physical, they would forget the spiritual - like we do. They would major on temporal and ignore the eternal - like we do. God was not in the center of their lives and uppermost in their thoughts. How like us!
• So, the Psalmist reminded them that "They soon forgot what He had done" - like we do!
• The word forgot is an interesting word. It signifies something that has been "mislaid." In other words, they put God aside. That left an empty place in their hearts that had to be filled. They needed a god. So, what did they do? They made a calf and instead of the God who called them His children, they worshiped an idol made of metal.
• We were created to worship and have fellowship with the living God. If we forget that and put Him aside we will "create" another god and put that god in place of the living God who loved us and gave Himself for us.
Prayer: Help us, Lord, to worship You continually and never forget the good things You do for us constantly. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Scripture for Today: Psalm 106:13 But they soon forgot what he had done and did not wait for his plan to unfold.


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