Selective Memory

In the desert they gave in to their craving; in the wilderness they put God to the test. – Psalm 106:14

While Christmas shopping I saw a large peppermint candy cane similar to the ones I use to receive in my stocking when I was growing up. Memories of enjoying this sweet delight filled my mind and I was easily wisked away into thinking I needed and wanted one for old times sake. Later that night as I savored the minty flavor and continued to indulge in thoughts of days gone by, I slowly broke off another piece, then another and another, until what use last weeks when I was a child, was nearly gone in one evening.

The next morning was met with regret for eating so much sugar and being pelted with guilt by the enemy for personally sabotageing my healthy eating plan. But the wrong thinking didn’t stop there. I entertained thoughts of not wasting what was left and starting over when the New Year began, instead of just throwing it away.

When the Israelites were in the desert they experienced selective memory. They were in a time of testing to see whether they would obey God and trust in His provision. When tempations came, they could only remember the good things about their time in Egypt. The pots of food, fresh vegetables etc. They forgot all about the salvery that accompanied them. I was doing the same thing.

The momentary pleasure was clouding the long-term reality. That is one of the schemes that the enemy uses to distract us and lead us to disobey and distrust God. While a candy cane may seem like a small thing, the reality is that it revealed the condition of my heart. I had asked the Lord to guide me in my desire to live a healthier lifestyle which would required me to avoid sugar and processed foods, then I disobeyed His leading when tempted, choosing to follow my own cravings. I was asking for the results without making the necessary sacrifices and changes that would bring them about. I wasn’t trusting that He had something so much better for me than what that memory or candy could every offer.

Living life differently is about doing the hard things, staying committed, making sacrifices, and most importantly trusting God and His provision. I want my memories to be of a woman who believed and trusted God, and was blessed for it.