Remember!

26 May Remember!

Remember

I will remember the works of the LORD: Surely I will remember thy wonders of old. I will meditate also of all thy work, And talk of thy doings. Psalms 77:11-12 

And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. Exodus 17:14

“And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. Deuteronomy 8:18

The word remember means more than to keep something in mind or not to forget.  The Hebrew word for remember is zakar, which goes beyond not forgetting but bringing someone in mind and then acting on that person’s behalf.  So, it is also a direction for action.   —Elie Wiesel said, “Without memory, there is no culture. Without memory, there would be no civilization, no society, no future.”

Tomorrow is Memorial Day in the United States of America. We will hang flags, visit the grave sites of loved ones and fallen soldiers, and salute our military branches and our commanders in chief, present and past.  We will also celebrate the start of summer and create new memories with family and friends.

We must also remember to share what we learned from our past, where it becomes tangible and usable for good and warning purposes.  There are many examples in the Bible.  Moses rehearsing a battle in Jousha, ear, Jesus saying remember Lot’s wife to His disciples as a warning of difficult times ahead and not to waiver Luke 17:32 or remember the Sabbath and keep it holy Exodus 20:8-11.  Or that the promises of God are yes and amen!  2 Corinthians 1:20. 2 Peter 1:12 NASB wraps this up nicely “Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you.

It’s like our parents telling us essential things several times. I am reminded of the scene in The Godfather where Vito Corleone repeatedly tells son Michael about things from the past and how things would be after his death. I hear you saying that’s the movies, well my parents are older, and before my father died, he constantly reminded us of several things like “I’m getting old. You need to come to see me more.” each time he talked to those who lived out of town. Or the importance of voting in each election, as that right was hard fought for, and we need to honor the sacrifices and the process. Or the repeated telling of funny things like going to the drive-in movie to see a horror film and no one being able to sleep that night. And those special memories of how the Lord has made a way for us through the year.

As we celebrate tomorrow, pray for our country. Let’s all remember the sacrifices made by the military and their families and the greatest sacrifice by Jesus Christ, who died for our sins.  Happy Memorial Day!💕

Theresa Woodard