In recent years, many of us have become quite dependent upon our smartphones to remind us of important—and not so important—responsibilities and engagements. Daily, perhaps hourly, we hear a chime or feel a vibration and are reminded of something that needs to be done or somewhere we need to be. We are so convinced of our propensity to forget that we program these handheld machines to remind us. With those reminders set, we feel safe…forgetting.
As I have recently read Deuteronomy in my personal devotions, I have been struck once again by the repeated admonitions to “remember” and to “take care lest you forget.” Deuteronomy is not concerned with our tendency to forget tasks or appointments, but with our tendency to forget God. And so, Moses commanded the people to put the LORD first—“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deut 6:5)—and to program their lives with specific reminders:
“And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (Deut 6:6-9).
Deuteronomy is filled with such calls to remember and not forget, indicating the crucial nature of keeping the Lord in our minds and hearts. This did not change when the Holy Spirit came to reside in us at Pentecost. In fact, this need to remember was one of the reasons for the gift of the Spirit, and His indwelling presence in no way decreases the necessity to prioritize remembering. Repeated remembrance of God and His saving works in Christ is crucial to the Christian life.
The Discipline of Remembering
Similar to Deuteronomy 6:4-9, the New Testament repeatedly enjoins believers to bring their thoughts to the things of the Lord. “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ…” (2 Cor. 10:5). “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Col. 3:2). “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom. 12:2).
These and other commands (Eph 2:11-12; Phil 4:8; Heb 3:1, 12:3) indicate that remembering requires intentionality. It simply does not happen if we do not plan for it and make it a part of our routine. Just like the reminders on our phones, if they are not set, we forget. If we would take seriously the admonitions to remember, we must be intentional about it. When will we do it? How will we do it?
The content of these commands indicate that remembering requires specificity. Moses tells the people to remember very specific things in Deuteronomy—that they were slaves in Egypt, that God had redeemed them from slavery, how He provided for them in the wilderness, His chastening, and His mercy (5:15, 8:1-3, 9:7, 15:15, 16:12, 24:18, 24:22). Likewise, the NT calls us to remember with specificity. We are to remember our former lostness outside of Christ (Eph 2:11-12). We are to remember Christ Himself, His suffering, His example, and His redemption (1 Pet 2:21-25; Heb 3:1, 12:3). We may also follow Paul’s example of recalling personal deliverances and blessings from the Lord (2 Cor 1:8-11, 12:1-10).
In other words, in our intentional remembrance, we should be specific, rehearsing the gospel and His many kindnesses to us and what all this tells us about God Himself.
A couple of suggestions…
First, take a few minutes each day in your devotional time to actively remember some act of God on your behalf.
Second, write it down in a journal. It doesn’t have to be voluminous prose, but just a record of what you remembered that day. You could return these entries later...to remind yourself to remember.
The Blessings of Remembering
There are numerous blessings of regular remembrance. Intentional recollection of the Lord, His character, and saving acts is intended to serve as an antidote to false worship. Moses expresses this purpose repeatedly to the Israelites just prior to their entering the land of Canaan. In fact, going after false gods is tied thematically to forgetting God (Deut 4:23, 8:19). So Moses reminded the people of God’s past saving works, showing that He alone is worthy of worship (4:32-40). He also reminded them of the misery caused by their past false worship. Remembering helps us to avoid idolatry, a concern that the NT repeatedly puts before us (Matt 6:19-34; 1 Cor 10:1-12; 1 John 5:21).
Remembering also serves as an exercise of love for the Lord. This is explicit in Deuteronomy 6:4-9. Immediately upon the command to love the Lord above all, Moses commands constant remembrance. Psalm 18 reads like the testimony of one who has practiced remembrance and reaped the reward of deeper affection for God. The entire psalm is a recitation of the saving acts and character of Yahweh, beginning with the words, “I love you, O LORD, my strength.” Similarly, the author of Hebrews encourages the reader to “consider how to stir up one another to love and good works” (Heb. 10:24). The context indicates that the mechanism of this “stirring” is recollection of “the confession of our hope” —God’s saving work in Christ (10:23).
Remembering is also a divine source of fuel for faithfulness and endurance. Rumination on the Lord, His life, His death, and His resurrection is a means whereby the Holy Spirit moves us to walk in obedience. “Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted” (Heb. 12:3). The NT authors consistently remind us of Him in order to spur us on (2 Cor 5:21; Titus 2:11-14;1 Pet 3:13-18). Therefore, we should make it a regular habit to mediate on Him.
We need reminders of all kinds in life, but perhaps none are more needful than those regarding His character and His work on our behalf. Let us be wise and follow the call of the Scriptures, weaving these reminders into our everyday lives unto greater love and faithfulness to Him.
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