Forgetting and Reminding

As football fans watching games on TV, we understand that when the offense huddles up, the quarterback tells the other ten guys what the play is and then lets them know the snap count.

That means they break the huddle, and everyone is aware of what they should do on that play, as well as when the ball is going to be hiked so that they can get a slight head start on the defense, right?

J.J. Watt had a tremendous NFL career as a defensive lineman and is now an analyst for CBS Sports. During an interview on The Dan Patrick Show, he shared some insight from his perspective as a defender as to what happens before the ball is snapped.

Watt explained that the offense's snap count was communicated out loud multiple times (using code words) to the offensive line, despite them already hearing it in the huddle.

He could also hear them talking to each other on the way to the line of scrimmage, and then once again they'd remind each other of the snap count right before the ball was snapped. Watt understood this happened because during a game, many things are going on in their heads, and they could easily forget the snap count.

As the game progressed, Watt would be able to learn their code words and decipher what the snap count would be. But just like the offensive linemen would forget, he would struggle, too, as he admitted, “I'm also a dumb football player myself, so I'm still jumping offsides at times.”

We can laugh about this and joke about football players being forgetful about a snap count, but don't we similarly struggle with remembering from time to time? Haven't we all forgotten to do something our spouse asked us to do, or the name of the person we just met?

Even more importantly, and unfortunately, as followers of Jesus, we can also be forgetful when it comes to remembering Scripture shortly after reading our Bibles or applying a great Sunday sermon just a few days later.

Like an NFL player, many things are happening in our minds that can cause us to forget what we read and learn.

However, we need to acknowledge the importance of intentionally and diligently remembering God's Word and responding with obedience, as James 1:22-25 (NLT) challenges us: “But don’t just listen to God’s Word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the Word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror.

“You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.”

Remembering God’s Word requires us to truly listen, study, reflect, meditate, marinate, memorize, and unpack it. We have to focus and not be distracted as we concentrate on what God tells us so that we can be like the Psalmist in Psalm 119:11 and 15-16 (ESV): 

"I have stored up your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against You...I will meditate on Your precepts and fix my eyes on Your ways. I will delight in Your statutes; I will not forget Your Word.”

Sometimes this can be tough for us, but the good news is we have help for our spiritual forgetfulness. As followers of Jesus, we must live by the power of the Holy Spirit within us. He speaks to our hearts and minds, reminding us of the truth we've learned in God’s Word and helping us to understand it. But we have to listen!

Jesus told His disciples (before He returned to heaven) in John 14:26 (NLT), “But when the Father sends the Advocate as My representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—He will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.”

Today, let’s saturate our lives with God’s Word and listen for the Holy Spirit as He reminds us of the “play that was called” and “when the ball is going to be hiked.” Let’s not forget who we are in Christ and the reality that He’s walking with us to the “line of scrimmage,” telling us what we need to hear again and again.

I’m Bryce Johnson, and you can UNPACK that!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I confess that so often I forget the truth of Your Word and Your character. Thank you for the Holy Spirit’s work in my life, reminding me of what I need to hear. I pray that I would be more diligent and intentional about memorizing and meditating on Scripture so that I’m not so forgetful. Help me not just hear Your Word, but be a doer of Your Word. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.