History
Remembrance: Throughout the Bible, we see the importance of remembering what God has done for His people. In Deuteronomy 8:2, Moses reminds the Israelites, “Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.” God instructed His people to set up memorials and celebrate feasts as a way of remembering His faithfulness (Exodus 12:14, Joshua 4:5–7). These acts of remembrance served as a way for future generations to learn about God’s mighty deeds and to praise Him (Psalm 78:4–7).
Jesus also emphasized the importance of remembering Him. During the Last Supper, Jesus said to His disciples, “Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19). He knew that His time on earth was coming to an end, but He wanted His followers to remember His sacrifice and continue to share the Good News of salvation with the world. In Revelation 2:4–5, the Lord commends the church in Ephesus for their perseverance and discernment but rebukes them for forgetting their first love. He urges them to repent and do the things they did at first. This shows us that even the most faithful believers can forget the love and grace of God, and we must continually remind ourselves of His goodness. We must never forget who and what God said He is. One of the fastest ways to backslide away from the Lord is to diminish and forget what He has done for you and what He has done for others. So, pray before meals to bless and give thanks to God, pray in the morning and evenings not to be seen by men, but to walk humble with Him and to cast your cares and worries upon Him for He cares for you. Meditate upon His Word and praise Him with your lips. “It is good to give thanks to the LORD And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning And Your faithfulness by night, With the ten-stringed lute and with the harp,With resounding music upon the lyre. For You, O LORD, have made me glad by what You have done, I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands.” — Psalm 92:1–4. When you remember God daily, you strengthen and build up your defense against the enemy.
Temptation: The devil is constantly seeking to steal our attention away from God and to lead us into temptation. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus warns his followers to “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41) The devil knows our weaknesses and uses them against us. He tries to convince us that God’s commands are outdated, that we don’t really need to follow them, and that we can live life on our own terms. He tells us that sin is pleasurable and that it won’t have any lasting consequences. In John 8:44, Jesus describes the devil as “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” The devil wants nothing more than to see us fall away from God and to lead us into destruction. He will use any means necessary to accomplish his goals, including temptation, fear, doubt, and deception. Just look at what is happening in our society today. The devil has tempted so many into supporting the destruction of the family, disdain towards God and the normalization of all sorts of perversion. It is a trajectory that will lead any nation into destruction, yet so many of the world are embracing it. Christians will do well to flee from any temptations of the world, no matter how small, for with it comes the compromise of tolerating depravity and evil ways. We must remember the examples of the faithful men and women of the Bible, who endured trials and overcame temptation by relying on God’s strength and guidance. We must remember the promises of God’s Word, which offer us hope, peace, and salvation. And we must remember the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who gave his life to redeem us from sin and to offer us a new life in Him. So, let us hold fast to the truth, seek His guidance, and remember His love and faithfulness in all that we do. As Hebrews 10:23 says, “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.”
Future: As we reflect on the importance of remembering all that God has accomplished, we cannot overlook the future that we have in Him. The Bible is clear that Jesus Christ will return one day to establish His Kingdom on earth and judge the living and the dead. We must be prepared for that day and not forget the hope we have in Him. As Jesus Himself said, “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:44). We are called to remember not only what God has done in the past, but also what He has promised to do in the future. In Revelation 22:12, Jesus says, “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.”This should give us great encouragement to persevere in Him, knowing that our labor is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58). The Apostle Paul also reminds us in 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 of the glorious future we have in Christ: “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” Let us hold on to this blessed hope and not forget the promises of our Savior Jesus Christ. In the Book of Revelation, it says, “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming quickly.’ Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20). May we echo this prayer and eagerly await the return of King Jesus for He is coming very soon!
In Him,
Tim and Will