At the beginning of this year, Trinity’s Dream Team created an opportunity for our volunteers to read through the Bible together in a year. We just finished reading through the first five books in the Bible that relay the story of creation, through the exodus of the Israelites and their preparation to enter the Promised Land. I’ve read through the Bible before. As a pastor-I’ve taught many of these stories. Then, we began going through the books of law and Numbers. Now, I knew there was a purpose to these books, but for the most part, I was dreading reading them! I had to consciously choose to dig deeper and see the purpose in what I was reading. As I did so, especially in the books of Numbers and Deuteronomy, a theme emerged… As a new generation was preparing to inherit God’s promises, they were constantly instructed to REMEMBER.
I don’t know about you, but REMEMBERING can be a tricky thing. I can remember lyrics to songs I learned as a child. But I rely heavily on Siri to set up REMINDERS. And for the life of me, I often cannot remember passwords I set up just weeks prior the last time I forgot my password.
But, throughout the Israelites journey towards the Promised Land, Moses (and God) instructed them to REMEMBER what God had done-how He had been faithful in delivering them-from the Egyptians, from starvation in the wilderness, from the enemies who surrounded them, and even from sin in the camp. It seems that God knew: when we take our eyes off of God, what He has done for us, and the goodness of His character, we can get overwhelmed by the giants around us-and we can adopt a skewed sense of identity! (Refer to Numbers 13:26-33)
God knew-we must remember Whose we are. As He was teaching a new nation to shed their identity as slaves, He was teaching them how to identify as His children. Today, we must shed our former identities as slaves to sin, and find our identity as children of God! (Romans 6:6-11)
How do we do this? We start by REMEMBERING.
What has God done for you?
What has He done in you?
What has he done in the lives of those around you?
How have those things revealed who He is?
Today, if you find yourself needing to refocus, if your eyes and faith may be shifted elsewhere, I encourage you to REMEMBER the faithfulness of God. Make a list. Ask others you trust to share how He has been faithful towards them. And, if all else fails, read the stories of those in the Bible who encountered God’s faithfulness. Then, share with someone else what you have seen or learned. Let’s REMEMBER, and let’s encourage each other… God is faithful. He is good. We are HIS daughters. Let’s REMEMBER Whose we are, and let’s shift our gaze to Him!
