Remember
There are some things that you just don’t want to forget. There are day to day memories like where your car keys are, the location of your cell phone, the password you use for all your online activities and what time your favorite show comes on T.V. Forget these and they might ruin your day but in time life will get back to normal. There are relational memories dealing with people like birthdays, anniversaries, names, favorite colors, shared events, and promises made. These people based memories carry more weight because there are lives and emotions involved. Watch what happens when you forget someone’s name or an adventure you had together, it can be a huge let down. It’s almost like if you love someone you’ll remember. Suddenly the practice of remembering takes on a greater importance.
Memory has a way of keeping us safe. A child (most likely) won’t stick his finger back in the power outlet if they’ve already felt the shock of it. A person who has experienced severe sunburn will remember and put on sunscreen the next time they go outside. The horrible memory of people dying in car accidents is part of the reason there are seat belts and seat belt laws. If you remember that someone you care about doesn’t like a particular style of music, you’ll be careful not to buy them the wrong song. A person who is scared of heights isn’t going want to spend the day riding roller coasters. Some people have better memories than others. None of us are perfect and we’re going to forget things. But our society, relationships, and daily lives function because we remember and share those memories with others.
God wants us to remember him. We show God our love when we remember him. It keeps us from moving down dangerous paths away from him. It’s not like when we forget God that he disappears or gets lonely but for our well being God needs to be on our hearts and minds. If God is so important to us then we will remember him. God is constantly telling his people throughout the bible to remember and not forget what he has done for them. God knows that we are distracted and get pulled away easily. After God rescues the Hebrews from Egypt he repeatedly tells them to remember. “Always remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God redeemed you from your slavery.” The book of Deuteronomy means a second retelling of the Law. God knew it wouldn’t be long before the people would forget.
A good way to try and find a lost cell phone is to retrace your steps. Where has God taken you? Can you look back from this point and recall God’s goodness? How is God at work in your life right now? Sometimes we’ll write things down and make notes so we can remember something important. To help encourage our memory God has given us the Bible. When we dig into those pages we read about who God is and how he feels about certain aspects of our lives. It can be hard to admit that we have lost track of our relationship with God. But God doesn’t give up on us, he says, “Remember!” Just one small memory can be enough to wake us up and bring us closer to God.
Life moves fast and our feet wander far. In the story of the Lost Son the young man ruins his life after taking his share of the inheritance. When the son reaches rock bottom it says, “when he came to his senses” basically he remembered his father and how good it would be to go back home. Our lives don’t have to be a wreck before we remember God. We need to put effort into knowing the love that God has for us and being reminded of it often. Psalm 77:11-13 “I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds. Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God?”
What is your experience in remembering God?