Remember

Remember.

I can’t get the word out of my head. Every time I sit down to spend time with the Lord, remembering always comes up in some way or another.

At first, I thought its recurrence was solely for me. In order to discern what the Lord was trying to show me, I prayed about it, processed what it meant. And then, after I thought I had practically exhausted all that I could possibly learn from the use of one word in the Bible, remember didn’t stop.

Then I began to wonder, maybe this isn’t just for me; maybe someone else also needs to hear this. So, I’m writing this in hopes that it might speak to your heart, friend, and encourage you in some way today. Here we go.

The key principle that the Lord taught me about remembering is that it keeps us humble and hopeful. I probably should have prefaced this whole thing with what kind of remembering specifically I’m talking about. Well, in this case, it’s remembering what the Lord has done for us.

Deuteronomy is BIG on remembering. I’ve been reading through the book, and it was quite possibly the launching point for what the Lord has been teaching me. Deuteronomy relays what was said to the Israelites in preparation for their entrance into the promised land. It sets out laws for them to follow, but it also includes frequent, cautionary reminders to “remember” what the Lord had done for them in Egypt in rescuing them from slavery. The necessity of this remembrance is laid out pretty clearly in the following verse: 

Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. -Deuteronomy 8:11-14

Here, we have reason number one on why remembering the Lord’s goodness is so crucial: it keeps us humble and reminds us that we didn’t get to where we are on our own. This was especially important for the Israelites as they were about to enter a providential and rich land; one flowing with milk and honey. They needed to be reminded constantly of who they were and where they were without God, and who they became when they met him. Without remembrance, the Lord knew that they would become proud and obstinate, which actually happens later on because they indeed forgot to remember. 

Reason number two for the significance of remembrance is insanely relevant in these disappointing, uncertain times: it helps us maintain an attitude of hopefulness. 

My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar. -Psalm 42:6

The Lord hit me pretty hard with the importance of this the other day. We got news a couple weeks ago that the training camp for the World Race was being postponed from July to September. I had been looking forward to meeting my squadmates and getting my first taste of what life on The Race would be like for so long. As you can imagine and most likely sympathize with, I was pretty disappointed and frustrated. After the news, my initial reaction was to get wrapped up in a cycle of anxious turmoil, wondering about what I would do if the actual Race got cancelled or delayed (thankfully, our launch date is still set and we are trusting the Lord that that will not change). However, in one moment, the Lord took a hold of me, and I felt him say, remember what I promised. I was struck with firstly, the idiocy of my own lack of faith, and secondly, with the powerful truth of those words. When I first began this journey with the World Race, the Lord laid out several clear promises of what He would do in my life this year. In one of these promises, He told me, this year will be a year of total transformation; there are things I am going to purge out of you, and things I will bring forth from within you. I recalled this promise, and the others I was believing for this year; I wrote them down. And as I did this, a wave of total peace swept over me; I knew that no matter what, Jesus would fulfill these promises, in whatever capacity he chose to. And that became enough. I recalled all of His goodness to me in my lifetime, and was reassured that He would do what was good for the rest of my life.

This is just a small example of the hopefulness remembrance brought about for me. It’s not just a remembrance of what He’s done, it’s a remembrance of what He’s promised. I know that so many of us are dealing with the disappointment and discouragement that comes with living in these crazy, unpredictable times. So many hopes and plans and dreams that are left to wilt away as life gets put on hold indefinitely. But friend, it’s my hope that I can give you just a small tool that helps you lift your head a little higher than before. 

It’s no coincidence that we find ourselves in a time of remembrance and hope: Easter. We look back on Jesus’ greatest act of all, his selflessness and unrelenting love towards us. We recall his sacrifice and gruesome death which lead to our freedom. And we remember his defeat of death on the glorious day that he rose again! If you have nothing to look back on, look at this: a perfect and holy Savior who died so that we might live — and conquered the grave. This is the epitome of faithfulness and goodness. And it didn’t stop at the cross. It reaches out into each and everyone of our lives; it even pervades far beyond that. Praise Jesus! I don’t know what you’re thinking, but I think this is a crazy hopeful message that couldn’t have come at a better time.

This morning our church sang a song via livestream that encompasses this message perfectly: “Remembrance” by Hillsong. 

In these times, we are being driven back to what is essential and true; we are being reminded of what really matters. My mom said it best: Let’s just stop talking about the virus and talk about Jesus. Don’t fixate on the mess of fear and anxiety that encircles you; set your sights on the Lord! Look back on his faithfulness in the past and cling with tenacity to the belief that He will continue to be faithful.

He is good, so, so good. And HE IS RISEN!