Remembering in Mind and Action

Today is Memorial Day, a holiday in the U.S. to remember the fallen service members of our military. There are many events and people in life worth remembering. What are some of your most important memories? Why are they worth remembering? What does it even mean for us to “remember”?

Reacting to our recollection

A few weeks ago it was Mother’s Day. Imagine you woke up and noticed the date marked on your calendar but carried on with your normal day. The next day you get a call from your mom, upset, “Did you forget yesterday was Mother’s Day?” “No,” you reply, “I saw the reminder on my phone.” While you may have briefly thought about your mom, she probably didn’t feel remembered by your lack of action.

Biblical culture had much less of a disconnect between one’s inner thoughts and outer actions. The word often translated as “remember” in the Bible is the Hebrew word zakar. This is more than mental acknowledgment. It implies acting on that reminder. Consider a few verses containing this word:

• “But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded.” ~ Genesis 8:1
• “Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and opened her womb.” ~ Genesis 30:22
• “Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant. Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.'” ~ Exodus 6:5-6a
• “When you go into battle in your own land against an enemy who is oppressing you, sound a blast on the trumpets. Then you will be remembered by the LORD your God and rescued from your enemies.” ~ Numbers 10:9

Heeding what we hear

Each time God remembers his people or promises, he immediately follows it up with action. Similarly, God expects us to remember him by listening to his instructions and living it out. In fact, the word for “hear” (Hebrew shema) can also be translated as “obey”, demonstrated by the action to “love”:

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

Deuteronomy 6:4-5

Listening to God’s instruction and not living it out is like a child who hears his dad reminding him to take out the trash and then promptly ignoring it. While the child may have audibly received the message, he didn’t respond to the instruction. How we respond to Jesus’ teaching determines if we’re wise or foolish (Matthew 7:24-27).

Pondering the past

If we are to remember and obey God, what does that look like? In times of hardship or temptation, we might cling to memorized truths that God is good, loving, or faithful. Though we intellectually agree with this proper theology, it can be difficult for these truths to permeate our souls and counter the lies we believe.

That’s where the power of concrete examples and stories comes in. It’s one thing to agree to the abstract fact that God is powerful; it’s another to concretely recall the last time you saw him intervene. Or, if you’re struggling to think of something personal, consider one of the countless examples in the Bible or the lives of believers throughout history when God has demonstrated his character.

The future is often foggy and feels uncertain. The best way we can trust God is to reflect on his past track record and promises. Let his past faithfulness be the assurance to guide your present and shape your future.

Standing stones

Consider, for example, the physical memorials the Israelites set up after crossing the Jordan (Joshua 4:4-7). In many cultures, people erect monuments that memorialize important events or people worth remembering. But more than just something to think about, the Israelite stones served to remind future generations of God’s faithfulness and promises. When tempted to doubt God, they could look to those pillars as historical evidence of God’s faithfulness.

God provided another physical reminder for his people in Numbers 15:39-40. Like the old tradition of tying a string to one’s finger to remember something, the children of Israel wore tassels as a reminder of God’s covenant obligations and identity. Every day, they were physically reminded that they were a kingdom of royal priests devoted in loyal service to their deliverer (Exodus 19:5-6).

Who in your life has served as a memorial for trusting in Jesus? What pictures and stories do you have that can remind you of God’s character? How can those objects and people serve as monuments to God’s faithfulness for you and those around you? And, after being reminded, how will that spur you on to live out the gospel truth?