The older I get, the more I seem to be forgetting things. I forget where I put my wallet, my keys, my phone, my glasses. My newest adventure is trying to remember why I walked into a room and what I was going to do. We all struggle to remember things in life, especially as we age.

While these simple, tangible things I forget about seem to be quite significant in the moment, they really are just a little hiccup in my day. I know I’ll soon remember where the item is or what I was up to and then I’m on with my day and don’t think about it again.

This problem of forgetting had me thinking about our trials and suffering in life and how quickly we can forget the promises of God in the midst of these trials. All of us encounter suffering and trials in our life. We live in a sin cursed, fallen world. We are broken sinners. We live with sinners. There is bound to be hardship and suffering.

What do you find yourself quickly rushing to in your suffering? A quick remedy or momentary relief? The remedy of the day offered by the world around you? Or do you find yourself running to throne of grace where you can find help in time of need?

I’ve been struck lately at how quickly we forget God’s precious promises even in hardship. Take the people of Israel for example. In the book of Exodus we read of their suffering and hardship at the hand of Pharaoh as they are in bondage and slavery.

The LORD raises up Moses to deliver and redeem them from Egypt and to bring them to the promised land. Shortly after being brought out of Egypt the people come to the Red Sea. They watch as the LORD miraculously parts the waters and they are able to cross to safety.

They rejoice and worship God for working wonders in Exodus 15 saying, “The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him” (Exodus 15:2). They are grateful to the LORD for who he is and what he has done for them.

Immediately after this the people of Israel were without water in the wilderness. They then came to a place where they could not drink the water because it was bitter.

Having come this far by the grace of God and his wonders, what do you suppose the people of Israel would do? Trust the LORD to sovereignly provide water for them in their time of need? No. They complain. They grumble. They fail to remember the wonder-working God who had delivered them from Egypt. They failed to remember the promises that the LORD had made to his people. They turn to grumbling and complaining about their current situation.

But God. The LORD turned the water sweet so that the people of Israel would have something to drink in their time of need. This was God’s gracious blessing of providing the people with water. It pleased him to care for his people. Following this the LORD brought Israel to a place of rest.

The account of Israel reminds me that we need to remember to remember. Remember to remember? Yes, exactly. We have a good and gracious God who is sovereignly, providentially working all things for our good and his glory. And we forget his promises to us all the time.

We get upset by the bitter and undrinkable water in our life and we forget that God has graciously redeemed us through the work of Christ and has promised that He will keep us until we receive that glory in Heaven that is being kept for us. We are guaranteed resurrection and inheritance because of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Oh how we need to remember the blessings that are ours in Christ. Will this solve our immediate hardship, trial, or suffering? No. But it does give us hope, comfort, and peace knowing that while we have trouble in this life, Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33).