Question 1

How can remembering God’s faithfulness help me in my spiritual walk?

Accepted Answer

Nehemiah 4:14Then as I [Nehemiah] looked over the situation, I called together the nobles and the rest of the people and said to them, “Don’t be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes!”We need to remember that God is the one who helps us fight and win the battles of life. He is working through us to accomplish his purposes. He will defeat sin’s grip on our lives and help us confidently fight life’s battles without fear.Romans 8:38-39I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.1 John 4:9-10God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.Remembering God’s great and constant love for us will help us when we feel alone and beleaguered.Psalm 147:11The Lord’s delight is in those who fear him, those who put their hope in his unfailing love.Jeremiah 17:7“Blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.”Jonah 2:7“As my life was slipping away, I remembered the Lord. And my earnest prayer went out to you in your holy Temple.”Romans 15:13I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.Remembering God as the source of our hope will encourage and motivate us when we are struggling and feel like giving up.Deuteronomy 8:11, 14“But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today. . . . Do not become proud at that time and forget the Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt.”Remembering God’s goodness and provision when we have plenty will help us be grateful and patient when times are hard.Deuteronomy 6:6-9“And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”Moses reminded the people of Israel to take every opportunity to remember God’s Word and to tell family and friends of God’s past help and blessings. If we do this each day, we will strengthen our love for and commitment to God, which will motivate us to be even more faithful.1 Chronicles 28:9“Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the Lord sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek him, you will find him. But if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.”Remembering that God is with us all day will help us recognize and sense his presence.

Question 2

Why should I remember God with others?

Accepted Answer

Deuteronomy 32:7“Remember the days of long ago; think about the generations past. Ask your father, and he will inform you. Inquire of your elders, and they will tell you.”Psalm 78:1-7O my people, listen to my instructions. Open your ears to what I am saying, for I will speak to you in a parable. I will teach you hidden lessons from our past—stories we have heard and known, stories our ancestors handed down to us. We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about his power and his mighty wonders. For he issued his laws to Jacob; he gave his instructions to Israel. He commanded our ancestors to teach them to their children, so the next generation might know them—even the children not yet born—and they in turn will teach their own children. So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands.Hebrews 10:23–25Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.We should remember and recount God’s past faithfulness with others because praising God for his goodness is an act of worship and unifies us with other members of the body of Christ. It can also introduce an unbeliever to our great God.

Question 3

What are some other ways we can remember God?

Accepted Answer

Exodus 31:13“Tell the people of Israel: ‘Be careful to keep my Sabbath day, for the Sabbath is a sign of the covenant between me and you from generation to generation. It is given so you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy.’”We can remember God by focusing on him on the Lord’s day. We can thank him for providing time for worship, rest, and play and enjoy God’s blessings in our lives.Genesis 9:16“When I see the rainbow in the clouds, I will remember the eternal covenant between God and every living creature on earth.”We can remember God and his promises when we see a rainbow. Reflecting on how God has kept his promises in the past can help us trust him to keep his promises in the future.Luke 22:19He [Jesus] took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”We remember God when we participate in the Lord’s Supper and focus on Jesus’ sacrifice for us.2 Peter 1:12-13I will always remind you about these things—even though you already know them and are standing firm in the truth you have been taught. And it is only right that I should keep on reminding you as long as I live.We remember God when we talk with others about him and his blessings. Remembering how God has blessed the lives of others encourages us to trust in God’s faithfulness. In turn, we can remind others to depend on God by sharing how he has helped us.2 Peter 3:1-2This is my second letter to you, dear friends, and in both of them I have tried to stimulate your wholesome thinking and refresh your memory. I want you to remember what the holy prophets said long ago and what our Lord and Savior commanded through your apostles.We can remember God by reading his Word. Seeing what he has done for his faithful followers throughout history will motivate us to look for ways to be involved in what he is doing now.

Question 4

How can I help others make lasting memories of God’s work in our lives?

Accepted Answer

Exodus 16:32Then Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded: Fill a two-quart container with manna to preserve it for your descendants. Then later generations will be able to see the food I gave you in the wilderness when I set you free from Egypt.”Joshua 4:6“We will use these stones to build a memorial. In the future your children will ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’”Joshua 22:26-27“So we decided to build the altar, not for burnt offerings or sacrifices, but as a memorial. It will remind our descendants and your descendants that we, too, have the right to worship the Lord at his sanctuary with our burnt offerings, sacrifices, and peace offerings. Then your descendants will not be able to say to ours, ‘You have no claim to the Lord.’”Esther 9:28These days would be remembered and kept from generation to generation and celebrated by every family throughout the provinces and cities of the empire. This Festival of Purim would never cease to be celebrated among the Jews, nor would the memory of what happened ever die out among their descendants.Special days and special memorials associated with God’s blessings continue to remind us of God’s faithfulness in the past, present, and future.

Remembering/Reminders