by
Dave Meyer
Either Recall (Remember) or Relearn (Pay the Price Again)
History is a flow of events that begins at the creation of time.
Starting from that point, the providential hand of God is revealed along the
way through the historical events acted out on the stage of life.
If recorded accurately and truthfully, history is the story of who we
are. It explains the when, where, how and why events took shape. History cannot
be foretold (except by God). It can only be recorded after time and events have
unfolded.
Why Accurate History is Crucial for
God's People
If history is not recorded in the flow that it happens, it is not
history, but a listing of random events without continuity. What happens when
this occurs is the providential hand of God is no longer identifiable and the
understanding becomes chaotic and confusing. Without truthful, accurate
history, the direction for the future becomes clouded and out of focus because
pieces of the past are missing.
People and nations lose their way and destinies are unfulfilled.
Satan's Plan
The reason for missing or revised segments of history is clear: Satan
knows well the importance of recounting, recalling and remembering the great
things the Lord has done. Satan's plan is now and has always been to dilute or
destroy this clear understanding of God as the Director of history.
When people (a nation) have an understanding of providential history,
Satan begins to function according to his title of great deceiver. If allowed,
the deceiver blinds people to the truth, and they become victims of ignorance.
Without the knowledge of how people of the past defeated Satan with God's Word,
people who don't know history are doomed to repeat it.
Men and women and nations inevitably repeat the same or similar
situations over and over when past examples are deleted from history. The price
paid is sometimes very large.
The Bible teaches us that wisdom is gained through the Word of God and
life experience (see Proverbs 3:13). It also teaches that the experience
necessary for wisdom is costly (see Proverbs 5:1). When this experience is
discarded, revised or forgotten, nations can no longer act in wisdom.
What Can You Do About It?
This leads us to the question: What can we as Christians do about this
perpetual cycle? The answer is simple—learn our true history.
Our future is always an extension of our past. If our past is distorted
and God's handiwork has been removed, our direction for the future will
disappear and we will wander aimlessly, as the Israelites did each time they
forgot God.
The ultimate end is always bondage.
This article was published in the March/April 2010 issue of Enjoying Everyday Life® magazine
I decided to share.