Remember!

Psalms 105:4, 5 and 8
Seek the LORD, and His strength: seek His face evermore.  Remember His marvelous works that He hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of His mouth . . . He hath remembered His covenant for ever, the word  which He commanded to a thousand generations.

Memorial Day is set aside to remember those who have fallen in our nation’s wars.  Sadly , the day will pass and most of us will be so caught up in picnics, family gatherings, or outdoor projects that we won’t even give much thought to the real meaning of the day.  That’s too bad, because remembering does many things.  It brings me back to the reality of what actually happened.  It also encourages me to see the dedication of those who fought and died.  Remembering stirs within me a sense of gratitude and appreciation, and it strengthens my resolve to do my part in serving God, country and others.

Throughout the Bible, God’s people are instructed to stop and recall what He did for them.  Psalm 105 is a song of remembrance of God’s goodness to His beloved ones.  It traces His direction, provision and protection through their history and the lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses.  As believers in the 21st century, we can look back over a much longer history and see how God’s plan has and is unfolding, and observe His incredible goodness to us. 

Psalm 105:1-5 shows the natural progression of what happens when I pause to remember—I give thanks to Him and continue calling on Him.  I sing of Him, and talk with fellow believers of all He has done.  Then I must go tell others of His greatness.  When I stop to trace the work of God’s hand in my life and in the world around me, these things just come naturally. 

But the key to being able to rejoice in the past is not found in counting the number of good things that have happened, but in remembering that God remembers!  I can rejoice because He never forgets His plan and He never forsakes His promises.  Even when life is tough and things don’t seem to make sense to me, I can rest assured that He is in control and He is working out His plan.  He has my best interest at heart.  Knowing this encourages and strengthens me, and pushes me to do my best to live for Him.

A song that was popular when I was younger went something like this:

“When I remember the cross that He bore,

When I remember the thorns that He wore,

My heart cries out, ‘Oh Christ divine, I’m thine forever!’

When I remember what He did for me.”

I encourage you, my friend, at this Memorial season, take time to remember.

Dear Father, help me daily to look back at Your faithfulness and praise You for being a God who remembers.  

By Ann Shorb
©Copyright Ann Shorb, 2006

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Related articles and devotionals:
Forgetting? Remember!
The Fight for Freedom
Celebrate Freedom!
Realizing Our National and Spiritual Freedom

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Changes That Heal: How to Understand Your Past to Ensure a Healthier Future By Dr. Henry Cloud / Zondervan In Changes That Heal, Dr. Cloud takes the reader step-by-step through the four basic tasks of becoming mature image bearers of God. They are: Bonding to others, Separating from others, Sorting out good and bad in ourselves and others, and Becoming an adult. Dr. Cloud not only explains and describes each task, he also identifies the problems that result when we fail to accomplish that task, and he shows us what changes to make in our lives in order to bring about healing.