Deuteronomy 4:9-14 Names of God Bible
9 However, be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you don’t forget the things which you have seen with your own eyes. Don’t let them fade from your memory as long as you live. Teach them to your children and grandchildren. 10 Never forget the day you stood in front of Yahweh your Elohim at Mount Horeb. Yahweh had said to me, “Assemble the people in front of me, and I will let them hear my words. Then they will learn to fear me as long as they live on earth, and they will teach their children the same thing.”
11 So you came and stood at the foot of the mountain, which was on fire with flames shooting into the sky. It was dark, cloudy, and gloomy. 12 Yahweh spoke to you from the fire. You heard a voice speaking but saw no one. There was only a voice. 13 Yahweh told you about the terms of his promise, the ten commandments, which he commanded you to do. Then he wrote them on two stone tablets. 14 Yahweh also commanded me to teach you the laws and rules you must obey after you cross the Jordan River and take possession of the land.
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
It’s tough to get someone who has faith in God to consider the possibility they might also be godless.
It seems like a contradiction by definition.
It might help to know we are not talking about a total renunciation of the existence of God.
We are talking about the moments we think, act, respond and make decisions as if God were not real and present in our lives.
Moments where our own thoughts or our own focus on God are replaced by people, circumstances, outcomes, or personal desires.
Godlessness is a challenge against how easily I can seek the approval of men over God, or want to be more important in the eyes of men rather than God.
Many times I’ve made decisions driven primarily by the desire to be liked by people or my peers over pleasing God.
Unfortunately, these challenges also have consequences.
Seeking the approval of men produces hiddenness and deceit.
The irresistible desire to be more important, attain more status, leads to fear and insecurity, while the highest desires to be liked can lead to compromise.
These are common challenges for me, and perhaps you too, that meet the definition of godlessness we are addressing here.
Don’t forget it was the religious leaders Jesus was talking about when he said:
These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules. Matthew 15:8-9 NIV
Though these leaders believed in God, their actions were consistent with someone who did not believe in God.
They worshiped God in vain, meaning it was futile or ineffectual with no real value and to no end.
We all can believe in God and still forget God.
When we do forget God, who do we put our trust in?
When we forget God, what do we replace him with?
Forgetting God: When trusting self overcomes our trust in God
When the LORD your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied, [12] be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. Deuteronomy 6:10-12 NIV
From where we sit, it is hard to imagine how the Israelites would somehow forget God after 40 years of seeing miracle after miracle (Exodus 7-17).
Yet God was compelled to caution them about forgetting.
In the desert, the Israelites had been dependent on God for their existence, including food and protection from the elements and their enemies.
There was a daily awareness of their need for God.
In Deuteronomy 6, God is about to fulfill his promise to bring them into a land where many of their needs will already be provided for.
This a blessing from God, a fulfillment of a promise that carried with it the risk they would no longer see a daily need for God and would forget him.
It is certainly possible to believe in God yet also to so easily forget about him.
Consider the times during the day God is absent from our hearts and minds.
Other times, amid difficulty, we give in to fear, distrust, and unbelief as if God were neither willing nor able to help us, leaving us with no option but to trust ourselves.
These are godless moments.
One need only look at the daily news cycle to understand that the disturbing, unsettling, disunifying, chaotic, and unjust world we live in is godless.
The world is often subject to life-altering events we cannot control.
The daily battle against godlessness is waged in the choices we make for who is in control of our life – God or self.
The minute I forget God has a plan for my life and is in control, I want to toss God utterly out of the picture and fight desperately to take control to avoid pain, uncertainty, stress, and anxiety.
“He will appear as your righteousness, as sure as the dawning of a new day. He will manifest as your justice, as sure and strong as the noonday sun. [7] Quiet your heart in his presence and pray; keep hope alive as you long for God to come through for you.
And don’t think for a moment that the wicked in their prosperity are better off than you. [8] Stay away from anger and revenge. Keep envy far from you, for it only leads you into lies. [9] For one day the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the Lord will live safe and sound with blessings overflowing.” Psalm 37:6-9 TPT
We need to recognize when our godlessness drives us to take back control of our life.
Where do you go when life begins to feel out of control?
- “I turn inward by coming up with a plan or a strategy to avoid the flow of information or emotions that are creating stress or anxiety.”
- “I turn outward to control my schedule, conversations, relationships, information, and responsibilities to avoid stress or anxiety.”
- “I ignore, deny or harden to whatever is causing stress, uncertainty, pain, or anxiety. It’s better to be able to function even if I have to do it with a hard heart or numb emotions.”
- “I talk to God, talk to friends, share my thoughts/feelings/emotions, seek input, and read scriptures for guidance on how to think and feel.”
Do not forget about recalling all those memories of God’s goodness
Deuteronomy 4:9-10 The Message
9 Just make sure you stay alert. Keep close watch over yourselves. Don’t forget anything of what you’ve seen. Don’t let your heart wander off. Stay vigilant as long as you live. Teach what you’ve seen and heard to your children and grandchildren.
10 That day when you stood before God, your God, at Horeb, God said to me, “Assemble the people in my presence to listen to my words so that they will learn to fear me in holy fear for as long as they live on the land, and then they will teach these same words to their children.”
Many of us have those beautiful memories and stories of our parents, siblings, pastors, teachers, or neighbors showing their love and care for us, and we will never forget what they have done for us.
Many of us will also share, celebrate, these stories with our children, friends, coworkers, and others. These stories will always be part of our personal history.
Similarly, as believers in God, we remember stories of God’s deliverance, grace, protection, and greatness shown to us. Memories of our spiritual formation and personal blessings give us encouragement and inspiration and more strength.
We would not be who we are without God and what he has done in our lives.
And when we remember and tell our stories, God receives the glory.
Our faith is strengthened and renewed. When we tell others, especially the next generations, we share with them our love for and dependence upon the Lord.
We can find many ways to remember.
Some of us may use daily or weekly journaling, daily times of reflection with prayer, pictures, artwork, and music that remind us of significant times and places where we have encountered God in our lives. Some families and churches also designate times to tell stories about the Holy Spirit’s works in their lives.
What are some ways you remember God’s goodness?
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Praying …
103 1-2 O my soul, bless God.
From head to toe, I’ll bless his holy name!
O my soul, bless God,
don’t forget a single blessing!
3-5 He forgives your sins—every one.
He heals your diseases—every one.
He redeems you from hell—saves your life!
He crowns you with love and mercy—a paradise crown.
He wraps you in goodness—beauty eternal.
He renews your youth—you’re always young in his presence.
6-18 God makes everything come out right;
he puts victims back on their feet.
He showed Moses how he went about his work,
opened up his plans to all Israel.
God is sheer mercy and grace;
not easily angered, he’s rich in love.
He doesn’t endlessly nag and scold,
nor hold grudges forever.
He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve,
nor pay us back in full for our wrongs.
As high as heaven is over the earth,
so strong is his love to those who fear him.
And as far as sunrise is from sunset,
he has separated us from our sins.
As parents feel for their children,
God feels for those who fear him.
He knows us inside and out,
keeps in mind that we’re made of mud.
Men and women don’t live very long;
like wildflowers they spring up and blossom,
But a storm snuffs them out just as quickly,
leaving nothing to show they were here.
God’s love, though, is ever and always,
eternally present to all who fear him,
Making everything right for them and their children
as they follow his Covenant ways
and remember to do whatever he said.
19-22 God has set his throne in heaven;
he rules over us all. He’s the King!
So bless God, you angels,
ready and able to fly at his bidding,
quick to hear and do what he says.
Bless God, all you armies of angels,
alert to respond to whatever he wills.
Bless God, all creatures, wherever you are—
everything and everyone made by God.
And you, O my soul, bless God!
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 