25 years is a long time.

Remember this?

A lot can change in 25 years. Look at this list of what happened in 1990:

• George H W Bush was wrapping up his presidency
• Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait (the 1st Gulf war)
• Saturn was launched as a new car company by GM (ending in 2010)
• The Simpsons first aired on Fox (now over 500 episodes strong)
• The first web page was published on the WWW
• East and West Germany reunite
• Milli Vanilli won a Grammy and then were revealed to lip sync on the album
• The Dow Jones closed at 2633
• A gallon of gas cost $1.34
• I began my junior year of high school

Looking that information up, I have to be honest…I forgot a lot of it.

Twenty five years is a long time. How quickly we forget.

It’s too easy to forget…

2 Chronicles 14-16 tells the story of King Asa. Asa is King Solomon’s great grandson, and Asa forgot. Asa forgot who it was that helped him rule for 36 years as king of Judah. It was early in his reign when an Ethiopian army outnumbered his own by more than 2-1.

Asa called out to God, and God answered. God delivered Judah from this massive army.

Like us, Asa is able to forget a lot in 25 years.

25 years later Asa again faced a bigger and more formidable foe. He is attacked by neighboring (and sister) Israel, but instead of calling on God, Asa calls on the Aram king, Ben-Hadad. To make matters worse, Asa uses the temple treasure – what was set apart for God to entice Ben-Hadad into this treaty.

25 years is a long time, and Asa forgot.

Have you forgotten?

Some of you have had a relationship with God for well over 25 years. Don’t forget. Don’t forget what it was that propelled you to walk with Him. Don’t forget why you turned your back on so many other “better” options.

25 years is a long time. A lot can happen in 25 years. Don’t forget.

Maybe the saddest part of this entire story is God didn’t forget Asa. In fact, he sent a man to confront him. Asa though, doubles down on his amnesia. He put the man into stocks and cracked the whip on his own people.

Isn’t it sad how cruel we can become when confronted by God with our own shortcomings? We deny Him. Then we spit in His face.

You can remember.

25 years is a long time, but there is always the possibility to remember.

God gave Asa another chance, but Asa fully turned his back on God. You don’t have to be Asa.

Today, remember why you love waking up in the morning and going to bed at night talking with Jesus. Remember why you couldn’t wait to sing that one song. Remember how you felt when you first felt God whispered your name.

God was calling you then. He continues to call you today. He still whispers your name.

Can you hear it?

25 years is a long time.

You don’t have to forget.