REMEMBERING THE LORD IN THE DAYS OF HIS GOODNESS
By Rev. Samuel Arimoro
Main Text: Ecclesiastes 12:1
Key Verse:
“Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them.” (Ecclesiastes 12:1)
Supporting Texts: Deuteronomy 8:10-18; Psalm 103:1-5; Proverbs 3:5-6; Luke 17:11-19; Hosea 13:6
INTRODUCTION
The human tendency is to seek God passionately in times of lack, pain, or crisis, yet many grow casual or forgetful when life is pleasant and blessings abound. Scripture repeatedly warns that prosperity can be spiritually dangerous if it leads to pride, self-sufficiency, and forgetfulness of God. This message speaks directly to the heart of that danger.
Solomon, writing from the depth of wisdom and life experience, admonishes believers to remember God early and continually—before adversity, weakness, or regret sets in. Remembering the Lord is not mere mental recollection; it is a lifestyle of reverence, obedience, gratitude, and dependence.
In our generation where success, comfort, and achievement are often celebrated above devotion, this message is timely. God desires that His goodness should draw us closer to Him, not push Him to the background. This teaching calls believers to remain grounded, faithful, and thankful in the days of God’s goodness.
1. REMEMBERING GOD IS A DIVINE COMMAND, NOT A SUGGESTION
God does not merely advise remembrance; He commands it because He understands the human heart and its tendency to drift during seasons of ease and abundance.
a) God Explicitly Commands Remembrance. (Ecclesiastes 12:1; Deuteronomy 8:11)
God instructs His people to consciously remember Him, knowing that forgetfulness leads to spiritual decline and disobedience.
b) Forgetfulness Leads to Pride (Deuteronomy 8:14)
When people forget God in prosperity, pride creeps in, and they begin to attribute success to their own strength and wisdom.
c) Remembrance Preserves Humility. (Micah 6:8)
Remembering God keeps the believer humble, aware that every achievement and blessing flows from divine grace.
d) Obedience Is Proof of Remembrance. (John 14:21)
True remembrance is demonstrated through obedience, not words alone.
Biblical Example:
The Israelites in the wilderness repeatedly forgot God’s mighty works despite visible miracles, leading to rebellion and judgment (Exodus 32).
2. THE DAYS OF GOD’S GOODNESS ARE A TEST OF THE HEART
Prosperity and peace reveal the true posture of the heart more than adversity does.
God often examines whether His blessings will draw His people closer or push them further away from Him.
a) Abundance Reveals True Loyalty (Hosea 13:6)
Scripture shows that when Israel prospered, their hearts became lifted, and they forgot the Lord.
b) Comfort Can Breed Spiritual Laziness. (Proverbs 30:8-9)
Too much comfort can dull spiritual sensitivity and dependence on God.
c) Goodness Should Lead to Gratitude. (Psalm 103:2)
God’s blessings should provoke continual thanksgiving, not entitlement.
d) Blessings Are Stewardship Tests. (Luke 16:10)
Faithfulness in abundance proves readiness for greater spiritual responsibility.
Biblical Example:
King Uzziah prospered greatly, but when he became strong, his heart was lifted up, leading to his downfall (2 Chronicles 26:16).
3. REMEMBERING GOD INVOLVES DAILY ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND DEPENDENCE
Remembrance is sustained through daily practices that keep God at the center of life.
It is possible to enjoy God’s blessings while remaining deeply dependent on Him.
a) Daily Thanksgiving Sustains Remembrance. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
Gratitude keeps the heart aligned with the source of blessings.
b) Prayer Maintains Dependence. (Philippians 4:6)
Consistent prayer reminds believers that God remains their sustainer.
c) God’s Word Anchors the Heart. (Joshua 1:8)
Regular meditation on Scripture keeps God’s truth alive in times of ease.
d) Giving Honors God in Prosperity. (Proverbs 3:9-10)
Honouring God with substance is a practical expression of remembrance.
Biblical Example:
David continually acknowledged God’s help and mercy, even when he was established as king (Psalm 18:1-2).
4. FAILURE TO REMEMBER GOD LEADS TO SPIRITUAL AND MORAL DECLINE
Neglecting God in good seasons eventually produces negative spiritual consequences.
What is ignored in abundance often becomes desperately needed in adversity.
a) Forgetfulness Leads to Disobedience. (Judges 2:10-12)
A generation arose that did not know the Lord, leading to moral decay.
b) God’s Presence Is Withheld from the Proud. (James 4:6)
God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.
c) Loss of Divine Covering. (Psalm 127:1)
When God is forgotten, human effort becomes insufficient.
d) Regret Comes When Strength Is Gone. (Ecclesiastes 12:3-5)
Many remember God only when opportunities and strength have faded.
Biblical Example:
The nine lepers who were healed but did not return to give thanks lost deeper fellowship and affirmation from Jesus (Luke 17:11-19).
CONCLUSION
God’s goodness is not an invitation to spiritual carelessness but a call to deeper devotion. Seasons of strength, peace, and abundance are meant to be platforms for gratitude, obedience, and service, not seasons of forgetfulness.
Believers are therefore called to consciously remember the Lord in the days of His goodness, while strength remains, doors are open, and grace abounds. A life that remembers God in prosperity will stand firm in adversity and finish well in destiny.
PRAYER POINTS
1. Father, help me to never forget You in the days of abundance and comfort.
2. Lord, deliver my heart from pride and self-sufficiency.
3. Help me to acknowledge You daily as the source of all my blessings.
4. Let Your goodness draw me closer to You and not away from You.
5. Teach me to steward Your blessings with humility and obedience.
6. Restore any area where I have grown spiritually careless.
7. Give me a heart of continual gratitude and thanksgiving.
8. Preserve my devotion to You in every season of life.
9. Help me to honour You with my substance and resources.
10. Let my life glorify You in prosperity and in adversity.
