“After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel.” (Judges 2:10)

As part of our introduction to a history related course in the University, our lecturer asked what we thought was the importance of learning our history. The oldest amongst us, Mr. Freeze; raised his hands and respectfully answered, “any man who doesn’t know his history is a lost man. We learn history so that we do not lose our identity.” His answer stroke a chord, the lecturer stopped taking anymore answers. He had found what he was looking for. We on the other hand, had just learned something very crucial.

As I glanced through our verse for today, I couldn’t help but remember that day. We are witnessing a critical moment in Israel’s history, this generation from Judges 2 had forgotten the mighty deeds of God. They had not witnessed the miracles, the deliverance, or the faithfulness of God that their ancestors had experienced, and they made no effort to walk in the light their ancestors walked. As a result, they drifted away from their covenant relationship with God and began to follow their own ways. This verse serves as a warning to us today.

Mr. Freeze did not lie, if you fail to acknowledge your history, you lose your identity. You are practically lost. It is the same when we forget the goodness and faithfulness of God, we can easily drift into sin and disobedience. Our relationship with God is built on remembering His works and responding in faith and obedience. When we neglect to remember his works, we become lost. Also, when we forget to pass on the stories of His faithfulness to the next generation, we risk losing the legacy of faith that has been entrusted to us.

As followers of God, let us prioritize remembering and celebrating the works of God in our lives and in the lives of those around us. We must understand that not only do we have the responsibility to walk in remembrance. We must pass on the stories of God’s faithfulness to the next generation, that they may know and follow Him. By doing so, we can maintain a strong legacy of faith and ensure that future generations will continue to walk with God.