“So the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. They forgot the LORD their God, and served the Baals and Asherahs.”

–Judges 3:7

When you allow yourself to forget the Lord, you will replace Him.

Often, evil does not start with a clear-cut decision to join darkness, but with the slow, subtle inattention to what is good. Often it is not a choice made in proximity to the Lord, gazing off at evil and judging it superior, but a leaning after one has drifted and forgotten how good the Lord is because it has been so long since one has tasted His perfection.

You lose touch with who He is – the wonders of His presence fading and forgotten, and so you lean into what is right in front of you rather than approach the mountain. For you have lost the vibrance of the memory that it is worth the walk.

Evil is not just the result of deliberate rebellion, but also of inaction to maintain closeness with good. It is the natural propensity of forgetful souls who allow themselves to starve.

Lord-

I must learn that it takes diligent effort not to forget You. It is not a passive process to stay close. You are the highest treasure; teach my heart to put in the effort to remember.