Total Recall

I've got to hand it to the people of the days of yore...they had great memories! They were really good about recalling and remembering what God did and how faithful He was.  This is a big theme not only in the first few pages of Chapter 5, but throughout the Bible. 

"And they live in tents during the Feast as a way to recall that during those days the Living God Himself - Yahweh- graciously chose to live among the people..." (DJ p. 67).

"Briefly, the water ceremony helped recall how God miraculously provided water in the desert." (DJ p. 68).

"The light ceremony recalled God's gracious guidance of the ancestors in the desert."  (DJ. p. 69).

"God's gracious guidance was remembered during the Fest of the Tabernacles..." (DJ p. 69).

This really got me thinking.  As present-day Christians, do we remember God enough?  Do I remember God enough?  When decisions in my life need to be made or when great leaps of faith and trust need to be taken when there are no obvious signs, do I remember God's faithfulness in my life?  He has never left me, and never stopped loving me.  Do I remember God's faithfulness to His people?  He is the Light that never goes out.



"Jesus the Light leads us out of the vagueness of "God-talk" to know God as God really is.  Not all at once of course.  In the nature of things that is not possible.  It is too much to handle all at once.  But step by step, day by day, year by year Jesus reveals the Living God to us" (DJ p. 72).

Oh, what sweet release!  I don't have to have it all figured out right now!  What grace He gives us.  He gives us the gift of time, the gift of a journey with Him!! 




"But begin with Jesus and we begin with God's idea about God, we begin with God's idea about God's own personal self-revelation"  (DJ p. 72).

Oh dear,  where does this leave the Jews?  Even the most devout Jew, one who has studied God's word for his/her entire life, prayed fervently to Him still wouldn't truly know Him because it is their own idea about God?  That's heavy and tough.



"What makes it so bad is that the bondage blinds us so that we do not see the true nature of our condition.  Because He loves us, He exposes the terrible truth (DJ p. 75).

It is as if Jesus says to us, "You cannot see it [in yourself] so I have to shed light on it."   Lord, thank you!  Even though this is so painful and ugly, you are making me right with you.  "Consider it pure joy my brothers..."

"Jesus the Light knows where He is taking His church.  He knows where He is going and He will not leave us to walk in the darkness about His will"  (p. 78).
Thank you, Jesus!!!!