The Art of Remembering
He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and merciful.~Psalm 111:4 ESV
A collection of photographs, magnets, and hand-drawn pictures decorates the side of my fridge. The art of remembering is often triggered by things like these.
The Past
The photos have images of my children and dearest loved ones captured long ago. Some magnets have Bible verses and quotes that carried me through tough moments. Others are souvenirs from vacations filled with great memories. The artwork held by those magnets includes a hand-drawn, pencil sketch of a monkey my son drew when he was only a few years old. Each captured moment stirs poignant memories, and my mind recounts those special days and fleeting seasons of life.
It’s interesting how the mind works with our emotions as we recall moments in the past. There is something to be said for how we approach these memories. In scripture, there was a poignant moment where Samuel made an “Ebenezer” to remember what God had done.
Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, “Till now the Lord has helped us.”~1 Samuel 7:12 ESV
The Hebrew word, according to the Strong’s Biblical concordance, is Eben Hezer, which means a stone of help. It was the placement of an actual stone to commemorate a moment of importance between God and the Israelite people. They established it to strike the memory and minds of all who had experienced God’s hand of deliverance. They would see it and remember their commitment to Him and His faithfulness to them.
With all of our modern conveniences, we memorialize in smaller and less symbolic ways, but there are always poignant memories to which our minds and hearts return. Perhaps, though, in the clutter of memories, we may lose sight of the important moments God changed our lives or lavished His love and provision on us.
The Present
Could we also go through our memories and establish our own Ebenezers to keep fresh the memories of God’s faithfulness?
What the Israelites had faced leading up to that moment was the possibility of their complete destruction. Yet under Samuel’s leadership, they came to God with repentant hearts and sought Him out above the noise of their fears. God rescued them and protected them from inevitable disaster at the hands of the Philistines. Samuel saw fit to memorialize that moment with something that could be physically looked at to trigger those memories of God‘s faithfulness.
For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.~Romans 15:4-6 ESV
Often, we keep moving forward in difficult times, or perhaps we live in the past in unhealthy ways. We go on in our daily life with our baggage or our blessings. Somehow, we forget the art of remembering all the details of how God has carried us to our present moments. We all experience events where God rescues us, provides for us, restores us, protects us, and delights in us. Additionally, we can often lose our memory of these times in the mix of our thoughts and past perspectives.
The Future
How we remember and what we remember matter. Perhaps we look back on our past with great regret or bittersweet longing. Perhaps memories of good times and special moments act as a cement, holding us back from stepping into new and unknown change.
Adjusting expectations of what life may look like in the future by reviewing God’s faithfulness in the past is essential. When we remember God‘s hand in each moment, we see with new eyes guided by gratitude and grace. We receive wisdom and strength to walk forward in the life God leads us through daily. Each step draws us closer to eternity while memories remind us that we can’t go back. Yet those moments lived become layers of soil for growth. In both the hard and sweetest of memories, we can see God’s goodness, permitting us to live differently or more richly because of the experiences we have lived.
Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, “My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.”~Isaiah 46:9-10 ESV
Think of some ways that will help you remember God’s goodness and blessings.
God help us to remember with eyes to see Your goodness, faithfulness, and provision in every part of our lives. We want to look back on those markers of Your faithfulness so that we never forget who You are through every moment of our lives. Thank You for equipping us, preparing us, and assuring us through these moments so that we can continue to step forward into the life that You have created for us. You are good and faithful. We humbly look back on all that You have done and say thank You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Genre: Non-fiction
Copyright 2025: The Art of Remembering: Kristi LaRee: All Rights Reserved.
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