Remembering

Yesterday was my wife's birthday.  I strategically arranged all sorts of surprises throughout her day.  I make a big deal of birthdays.  I love my wife's birthday because I make her feel special all day long.  But lots of other people also made her feel special by simply remembering that it was her birthday.  The phone started ringing at about 9:00 in the morning and continued until 9:00 at night.  Every one of her siblings remembered.  Every one of my siblings remembered.  All her close friends remembered.  It made her day.  

Yesterday got me thinking about the significance of remembering--a theme that actually runs throughout the Bible.  Seriously, next time you read the Bible pay attention to the theme of remembering.  Over and over again you will read that God remembers his people and the covenant he made with them (Gen. 9:15-16; Exod. 2:24; Lev. 26:42, 45...etc.).  Over and over again you will read the command to remember God--his teachings and his mighty works (Exod. 13:3; 20:8; Num. 15:40; Deut 5:15).  The Israelites are commanded not to forget the way God rescued them out of Egypt and guided them in wilderness (Deut 5:15; 7:18; 8:2...etc.).  They are even commanded to wear certain items on their clothes to help them remember (Num. 15:39).  They are commanded to engage in certain feasts in order to remember God's providence (Deut 16:3).  I am not kidding, do a word-search on "remember" and you will be astonished at the results.  It pops up over and over!

Perhaps the repetition of this command reveals our innate ability to forget.  We have the tendency to forget about God--who he is and what he has done.  The Israelites were commanded to engage in feasts and erect objects to help them fight against this tendency.  They were encouraged to become intentional about association.  Looking at a specific object was supposed to remind them about an action God performed.  Celebrating a feast (which the church is commanded to do in the NT -- Lk 22:7-38) was supposed to remind them about God's intervention.  

Perhaps we should have associations in our life (in addition to the Lord's Supper) to remind us of God--his character and work.  It could be a street name, a time of the day, an activity, a feeling, or particular location that reminds you about God in some way.  Opportunities to create associations are everywhere.    

Despite how easily we forget, God never forgets.  He always remembers.  And remembering communicates love.  My wife felt loved when people remembered something as simple as her birthday.  Maybe part of the way we can love God and love others is by remembering (Mt. 22:37-40).