Why Memory Is Faith’s Greatest Enemy

I was watching the news the other morning, and all along the Guadalupe River in Texas, there were these makeshift memorials that had been erected overnight. People instinctively creating something to remember those who had passed away. It got me thinking about something profound: memory shapes identity.

That’s exactly what God understood when He commanded the Israelites to build a memorial after crossing the Jordan River. But here’s what struck me as I was studying Joshua 4: this wasn’t Joshua’s idea. This was a divine command from God Himself.

Ralph Davis wrote something that really stood out to me: “The greatest enemy of faith may be forgetfulness.”

If you’re struggling with faith, I wonder if the reason is that you’ve forgotten all the ways God has delivered you up until this point. God, knowing that about you and caring about you, is telling you to erect memorials – specific memorials. Why? So that you might have faith for what’s coming tomorrow by remembering how He’s delivered you in the past.

I see this pattern everywhere, especially in marriage. The real threat isn’t always infidelity – it’s a slow process of forgetting, a gradual failure to remember the preciousness of the other person. Most people don’t wake up and say, “I’m going to have an affair today.” It’s a slow, gradual process of forgetting that person you stood before God and made vows to.

When I perform wedding ceremonies, I always tell young couples: “Remember these vows you’re making today. Let them be like a memorial to you. Because there’s going to be a time in the future when you don’t want to honor them, and you need to remember the vows you made to each other.”

Sadly, most of the time when I talk to couples who’ve reached the point of divorce, they’ve completely forgotten the person they married.

The same pattern shows up all throughout the Old Testament, and it should stick out like a neon flashing sign if you’re reading through the Bible: Israel loves God. Israel forgets God. Israel falls into idolatry. Rinse and repeat.

Does that remind you of your personal pattern? You forget God’s faithfulness and you fall into fear and lack of faith.

Here’s the thing – those who forget God’s faithfulness are condemned to unnecessary fear. I don’t want you to have fear and anxiety. It’s unnecessary if you remember God’s faithfulness. But when you forget it, you subject yourself to completely unnecessary fear and anxiety.

So what has God done for you? Don’t forget it, because that provides the faith for the next miracle in your life. Build one tangible memorial to God’s faithfulness this week. Make it specific, not just “God is good,” but “God did this specific thing.”

Questions for Reflection:

What specific way has God delivered you in the past that you’ve forgotten? How might remembering that change your faith for what you’re facing today?