UNPACK This...Renewing Our MindsSample

Forgetting And Reminding

In an interview on The Dan Patrick Show, retired NFL star, J.J. Watt shared his defender’s perspective on what happens before the ball is snapped in a football game.

Watt told how the offense’s snap count was communicated out loud multiple times to the offensive line, despite them already hearing it in the huddle.

He could also hear them talking to each other on the way to the line of scrimmage, and then once again they’d remind each other right before the ball was snapped.

The offensive linemen’s forgetfulness, he explained, greatly benefitted him as a defender.

Unfortunately, as followers of Jesus, we can be forgetful when it comes to remembering scripture shortly after reading our Bibles…or the application of a sermon just a few days later.

However, we need to acknowledge the importance of diligently remembering God’s Word and responding with obedience as James 1:22-25 challenges us: “But don’t just listen to God’s Word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the Word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.”

Remembering God’s Word requires us to study, reflect, meditate, memorize, and unpack. We have to concentrate on what God tells us so we can be like the Psalmist in Psalm 119:11 and 15-16: “I have stored up your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against You…I will meditate on Your precepts and fix my eyes on Your ways. I will delight in Your statutes; I will not forget Your Word.”

Today, let’s saturate our lives with God’s Word by being intentional to study, memorize, and apply it in our lives.

I’m Bryce Johnson, and you can UNPACK that!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I confess that so often I forget the truth of Your Word and Your character. I pray I will be more diligent and intentional about memorizing and meditating on scripture so that I’m not so forgetful. Help me to be a doer of Your Word. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.