Be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. Deuteronomy 6:4
This weekend is Memorial Day weekend. It is the unofficial beginning of summer, but it is more than that. It is an opportunity for us to remember all the brave men and women who have made selfless sacrifices to win, protect, and preserve the freedom we enjoy as a country. What a great way to applaud their bravery and courage!
Remembering is so very important in many ways, but is especially important in our relationship with God. Two often repeated commands in the Bible are “remember” and “forget not. What are we called to remember? Two basic things.
The first thing we are called to remember is God’s past faithfulness. We are to remember the victories he has won for his people of old and for us. Looking back at how God demonstrated his faithfulness in the past gives us courage in the present battles we are engaged in. He came through once before, he will come through again.
We do this when we read the Scriptures. We read stories like David and Goliath and how God enabled David to defeat the mighty giant. But the ultimate story and example of this is remembering the ultimate freedom Jesus won for us by selflessly sacrificing his life on the cross of Calvary.
Beyond the stories of the Scriptures, we have our own testimonies to point to. There are certainly times when God has showed himself to be faithful in your own life. This is a good reason to keep track of prayer requests. We are so forgetful. Our minds play tricks with us. There is something about having a written testimony that speaks courage into our hearts that we will not forget God’s faithfulness.
The second thing to remember is God’s commandments. God instructs us the way to live our lives. But it is not just remembering his commandments, but also remembering the benefits of obeying his commandments. There is blessings for obedience and there are consequences for disobedience. When we forget the realities of blessings and consequences, we are easily led astray. When you are faced with a critical decision you might be tempted to compromise your integrity. You might not be able to see from your perspective any consequences to your actions. But just because you can’t see them, does not mean they are not there. Remember that! And you will do well.
Hope you all have a great Memorial Day Weekend. Safe travels to everyone who will be traveling over this holiday weekend. Even if you are traveling out of town, don’t forget to remember the one who gave his life for you. Take some time to worship him. Find a local gathering of believers to celebrate his great faithfulness. There may be no greater way to honor those who gave their lives for the cause of freedom than to exercise our freedom to worship.
Have a great week!
