Remember!

Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me.

Isaiah 46:9

Throughout the Bible, God’s people are called to remembrance. We are to bring to mind God’s wondrous works in the past so that our faith might be renewed in the present. For the Israelites, this meant, most of all, recalling the Exodus, when God delivered his people from slavery in Egypt. For Christians, the focal point of our remembrance is the cross, by which God delivered us from slavery to sin and death.

When we remember God’s great works of salvation, our trust in him is strengthened. We have confidence that the one who once saved us is still our Savior. Moreover, remembrance binds us together with other believers, even as a family reminiscing about the past feels close. One of the most striking results of bringing to mind God’s saving works is gratitude. When we consider the love of God given to us through the cross, our hearts fill with thanksgiving. They overflow as we recall the ways God has made a tangible difference in our lives.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: Do you ever take time to remember God’s great deeds in history and in your own life? When you remember, what happens to you? Could you set aside some time soon to focus on remembering?

PRAYER: Gracious Lord, your word once spoken to Israel is just right for me today: Remember! I need to remember what you have done in the past, in history, in Jesus Christ, and in my own life. When I do, my trust in you grows, as does my gratitude.

Thank you, dear Lord, for bearing my sin on the cross. Thank you for sending your Spirit at Pentecost and in my life when I put my faith in you. Thank you for the countless times you have touched my life: protecting me, guiding me, forgiving me, empowering me for your service.

Help me, dear Lord, to live each day in light of your great works. Help me to remember you! Amen.