#AnEasterForRemembering

Remembering What To Do With Self

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me (Gal 2:20). I reminded us yesterday of the lavish love of the Father that Jesus revealed to mankind. He also taught us of sacrifice. In remembrance of the sacrifice of His perfect, sinless life to atone for sin, let’s consider how we are called to sacrifice. Aren't we called to lay down our lives?

Remembering the Love of God

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! (1 Jn 3:1a) In the everyday rush-of-life, it’s easy to forget the love of the Father. Both that it exists and its immensity—forgotten. But the apostle John reminds us with this exclamatory statement. Because it’s a reminder we need in this often-harsh life. That we are even called His child is lavish in itself. And that is what we are! (1 Jn 3:1b) What clouds your vision to it, like a

Remembering the Suffering Servant

What comes to mind when you think of a king? Most people have a preconceived opinion about royalty. A quick round of word association might yield descriptors like rich, pampered, luxury, or spoiled. Therefore, commoners typically find it frustrating when royals whine about being mistreated. There has only been one who truly was unjustly mistreated, and brutally so—yet not a word of complaint rolled past His holy lips. Today, let’s solemnly remember the suffering of Creation’s

Reasoning and Remembering Isaiah’s Words

Please tell me you’re like this too, in that you have a list of people in the Bible you hope to chat with in our forever home with the Lord! Isaiah is one near the top of my list. I so want to hear his story, but I also want to thank him for being a faithful servant of the Lord in sharing His words. Read these verses slowly . . . and very carefully. Then we’ll chat on the other side . . . Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, the

A Covenant Remembered from Eternity

For thus says the Lord God: I will deal with you as you have done, you who have despised the oath in breaking the covenant, yet I will remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish for you an everlasting covenant (Ezk 16:59-60 ESV). In this past year-of-all-years, have you felt horribly alone? Have you felt twisted and turned inside-out and upside-down? Have you wondered where God is in all this? And if He even cares? You may have felt like you

When Enough is Enough

There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, “Enough!”: the grave, the barren womb, land, which is never satisfied with water, and fire, which never says, “Enough!” (Prv 30:15-16) The captioned footnote in my Life Application Bible reads, “Three things....four” is a poetic way of saying the list is not complete. That being the case, could we then also add to this catalog a worldly heart as something that never says "Enough"? The heart (certainly mine

A Psalm for Remembrance

During an early morning Bible read, a particular morsel captured my attention. But it doesn’t lie within a verse to be referred to. It’s simply an outlying phrase. Turn to Psalm 70. Notice the small portion of the descriptive subtitle which reads, to bring to remembrance (ASV). Isn't that precisely what is needed in desperate times? To bring to remembrance God's past deliverance, grace, and provision? A recollection of the Lord’s past deeds always rejuvenates hope! Now look f

Remembering Our Father’s Response

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you. Many are the woes of the wicked, but the LORD's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him (Ps 32:8-10). Psalm 32, considered a penitential psalm, teaches much about the effects of sin, the benefits of confession, and God's forgiveness.

The Power and the Beauty of the Psalms in History

I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds (Ps 77:11-12). From their exile, the community of God’s people used the psalms for prayer . . . for liturgical worship . . . for remembrance. In troubled times, they remembered the deeds of God in their history. And hope was fueled to praise and perseverance. Because remembering exercises faith and fuels hope. The gather

Men Pointing Forward

Many great men served both God and man through the ages spanning the Old Testament era. There were the patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Moses. The priests, beginning with Aaron. Don't forget the kings (who doesn't love David?). And the prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, to name a few. They were mediators. Go-betweens for a holy God unto an unholy people. The patriarchs, priest, kings, and prophets were common men, chosen and called by God to step into a less-than-

Remembering Rahab

Art used by permission from Christian Dare Art By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient (Heb 11:31). In the plains of Jericho, a gentile harlot heard of the Hebrew’s God . . . and believed. She believed theirs was a living God who parted the sea and defeated neighboring kings. Before prophets spoke the words from God that a Messiah would come, she believed. What can we learn by remembering Rahab? From Rahab

When Seeing Prompts a Reminder

Have you ever seen something and suddenly remembered some other unrelated thing? It’s as if something visual sends a spark across the brain, which fires up the remembering part of your brain. (I’m pretty sure that’s not a scientific explanation. But that doesn’t mean it’s not real, right?) I’m not sure exactly how that works, but I think it’s likely that you can relate to the sensation. It usually happens quite suddenly . . . unexpectedly. And awkwardly! Know why? Because you

They Wore Stones of Remembrance

Another important juncture in the timeline of Israel’s history is the birth of the priesthood. Exodus contains the revelation of God in Word and deed for this sacred inauguration (as do other books that follow in the Pentateuch). Aaron, brother to Moses, was given the high and holy calling from God to serve as the first in a long line of Levitical priests. He was to be crowned with a seal, a crucial reminder: Holy to the Lord (Ex 39:30). But the particular item I want us to b

Remembering the Law

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not covet,’ and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law (Rm 13:8-10). In our remembering, we’re traveling through the

Moving From Craving to Satisfied

The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, “If only we had meat to eat!” Moses heard the people of every family wailing, each at the entrance to his tent. The LORD became exceedingly angry, and Moses was troubled. Now a wind went out from the LORD and drove quail in from the sea. It brought them down all around the camp to about three feet above the ground, as far as a day's walk in any direction. All that day and ni

The Passover Was About Remembering

Obey these instructions as a lasting ordinance for you and your descendants. When you enter the land that the Lord will give you as he promised, observe this ceremony. And when your children ask you, “What does this ceremony mean to you?” then tell them, “It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians” (Ex 12:24-27a). Passover was not merely a one-time event. That first Pas

What to Remember and What Not to Forget—Lessons from Egypt, Part II

Remembering Egypt held value for the people of God—as noted in yesterday’s post. Today we’ll look at a few more instructions from God from the Book of Deuteronomy. Consider these three points that have application for us today: Remaining idol-free Be careful not to forget the covenant of the LORD your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the LORD your God has forbidden (Dt 4:23). We live in covenant with our Lord and are called

What to Remember and What Not to Forget—Lessons from Egypt, Part I

Therefore, say to the Israelites: “I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment” (Ex 6:6). Their time in Egypt held many hardships for the Hebrews. But it also help provided many life lessons for them. And God’s deliverance of the people held even more. God had much to teach these people, as He formed their nation. And muc

Remembering What’s Greater

Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe. As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “I know what a beautiful woman you are. When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live. Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you” (Gen 12:10-13) Abram worried about what

Remembering the Problem of Pride

For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life— comes not from the Father but from the world (1Jn 2:16). It had been decided that we would add-on an in-law suite to the house, so my recently widowed father-in-law could move in with us. The construction was more than we bargained for. But for the kids, it was a grand adventure. I remember one day in particular, they were quite young at the time, when we had given them a chore to