Remember

Today as I write, it’s Easter Sunday, 2024. Many of Jesus’ followers call it Resurrection Sunday in hopes we will better remember the meaning behind the holiday.

Last night I watched a program called “God’s Appointed Times”* and was reminded of our need to remember.

God Wants Us To Remember

Our Creator knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows it’s important to remember, and He knows how easily we forget.

Not just where our keys are. But big things. Like, who is God? What is He like? When can I meet Him? Where will I find Him? Why do I need to trust Jesus? How can I have peace with my Creator?

When God led the Israelites out of Egypt, He established for them a day of rest called the Sabbath. He wanted them to remember He is holy, and He is the One Who set them apart (Exodus 31:12-13). The Sabbath occurs every seven days. I personally take that to mean we need lots of reminding!

At one point in the journey, Moses spoke the following to the people.

You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

Deuteronomy 8:18

The Israelites watched God do miracle after miracle rescuing them from slavery. You would think they wouldn’t forget the One Who saved them. But humans easily forget.

Traditions Help Us Remember

As Jehovah God guided the Israelites from Egypt to the Promised Land, He gave them seven feasts, sometimes called festivals, to keep. So they would remember.

The Hebrew word used is moed. Appointment. God’s appointed times help His people remember how great He is and what He has done.

When Jesus ate the Passover meal with His disciples, He established a new covenant to be made through His blood. This covenant would be for all people who would enter into covenant with Him. His words to the disciples were for all of us. “Do this in remembrance of Me” (Luke 22:19). Communion or the Lord’s supper reminds us of our Savior’s sacrifice for us. We remember what He did and Who He is.

We need traditions and appointments with the Father to help us remember. Maybe you have a daily quiet time, reading Scripture and listening to God’s Holy Spirit direct your heart to understand the truth God has for you that day.

Maybe holidays are holy days and you and your family make a point to remember God and His amazing love and grace. It’s important that we remember whose we are and how easy it is for us to go our own way.

Help For When We Fail To Remember

Humans have a tendency to wander. Our thoughts wander, and our hearts wander. Even knowing our Creator loves us, we let our affections wander from Him to the many blessings He gives us. When we do, our Loving Father reprimands us, drawing us back to Him. And if we still ignore Him, judgement may fall as it did on the nation of Israel many a time.

I’m concerned for us as a society and a nation. Jehovah alone is God, yet we have allowed society to say everyone can be their own god. The one true God won’t be mocked. For those who know Him, we need to intercede for our country. Our only hope is in looking to God for mercy.

Reading in Lamentations this morning, I was reminded of Israel’s wandering heart and the consequences that followed. The writer remembered his affliction in the midst of God’s judgement on the nation. But then he remembered God’s mercies. And that’s where we go for help when we wander, when we fail to remember.

This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your Faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:21-23

God Who created all things is loving and merciful. And we are His.

But let’s not forget He is also holy and just.

Today we celebrated the resurrection of our Savior, the living Lord Jesus Christ. As we continue through 2024, may we always remember Who He is and Whose we are.

(Scriptures: NKJV; Photo: Taken by Carolyn Thigpen, March 31, 2024, Atlanta, GA)

*Note: If you want to learn more about God’s appointed times, you might enjoy watching “God’s Appointed Times” with Rabbi Jason Sobel here.