… remember well what the LORD your God did. Deuteronomy 7:18 NIV excerpted

 

We don’t want to live in the past. But reflecting and remembering are powerful tools God uses in our lives.

There’s a rock sitting next to Brian’s computer. Celia has a tiny seashell in a drawer. When Brian and Celia hold these objects in their hands, they remember.

Celia remembers the day she escaped from an abusive relationship. Safely away from her abuser, she walked along a beach, talking to God and thanking Him. Her eyes fell upon a perfectly formed shell in the sand. She tucked it in her pocket and to this day, that little shell reminds her of the day that God rescued her.

God tells us to remember the times that He’s intersected our lives. In Bible days, when He helped the Israelites escape slavery, He stopped the flowing water of a river so that the people could walk across it on dry land (Joshua 3)! Once they’d crossed, God told them to pile up stones at the place they’d crossed. The leader of the people told them, “In the future your children will ask, ‘What do these stones mean?’ Then you can tell them, ‘This is where the Israelites crossed the Jordan on dry ground… [God] did this so that all the nations of the earth might know that the Lord’s hand is powerful'” (Joshua 4:21-22, 24a).

Brian says this about his rock that sits next to his computer: “I like the idea that Israel chose stones as a memorial, as a witness to the work of God. I often hold a stone that I have placed next to my computer to remind me that God is my rock.”[1]

Scripture says,”… remember well what the LORD your God did” (Deuteronomy 7:18 NIV excerpted). What could you use to remind yourself of God’s powerful care for you?

[1] Heasley, Brian. Lectio355. “24-7 Prayer, Version 3.2.1, November 30, 2024. www.24-7prayer.com.