Proverbs 3:21
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My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion:
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Most young men have a short attention span and a short memory. It is easy for them to forget instruction and warnings, when they are in the heat of a difficult controversy or a strong temptation. Solomon taught his son to keep wisdom, understanding, and discretion, for it is only by retention that instruction has any value (3:18). And if the truth is told, honest readers will admit they are little better than memory-impaired young men!
What good is a sermon you lazily listen to and forget as soon as the preacher says, "Amen"? Jesus said the teaching is immediately taken away from such a hearer by the devil (Matt 13:19; Mark 4:15; Luke 8:12). And it is the common experience of all men to have difficulty remembering what was preached just a few days or weeks before. Shame!
Instruction for success in any endeavor is only as profitable as the hearer's ability to remember and apply the knowledge to the specified task. Warnings about danger in any situation are only as valuable as the hearer's ability to remember and apply the advice when facing the threat. A great hindrance to success for many is a poor memory!
The blessed God of Israel knew this danger. After giving wonderful laws, precepts, and statutes to Israel through Moses, He warned them not to forget what He had taught them (Deut 4:9,23; II Kgs 17:37-38). He knew that prosperity was a curse to memory, for luxury induces laxity and impairs the conscience (Deut 6:10-12; 8:7-20).
To counter this problem, God commanded fathers to diligently teach His laws to their children when in the house, when traveling, when preparing for sleep, and when getting up (Deut 6:6-7). He required diligence comparable to tying signs to hands, putting frontlets between eyes, and writing His laws on the posts of their houses (Deut 6:8-9)!
Forgetting teaching is dangerous! The church at Corinth forgot the resurrection of the dead that Paul had taught them, which stole the hope and joy of the gospel from them (I Cor 15:2,19). The gospel must be kept in memory. The world assaults your senses every moment you are awake with their enticements, which are entirely opposed to the truth of God. What are you doing to defend yourself from this assault and retain His wisdom?
Do you know your weak memory? Do you understand that prosperity and activity dull it further? What are you doing to review, remember, and retain what you have been taught? Do you have any mechanism in place to review sermons, remember lessons, or retain advice? If you speak to another about applying wisdom, then two would remember!
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