Seek the LORD, and His strength: seek His face evermore. Remember His marvelous works that He hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of His mouth... He hath remembered His covenant for ever, the word which He commanded to a thousand generations.
(Psalm 105:4,5,8)
Remembrance Day is set aside to remember those who have given their lives for the freedom of others. Sadly for many the day will pass without them even giving any thought to the real meaning of the day.
Remembering does many things. It brings us back to the reality of what actually happened. It encourages us to see the dedication of those who fought and died. Remembering should stir within us a sense of gratitude and appreciation, and it should strengthen our own resolve to do our part in serving God and others.
Throughout the Bible, God’s people are instructed to stop and recall what He did for them. Psalm 105 is a song of remembrance of God’s goodness to His beloved ones. It traces His direction, provision and protection through their history and the lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses. As believers in the 21st century, we can look back over a much longer history and see how God’s plan has and is unfolding, and observe His incredible goodness to us.
Psalm 105:1-5 shows the natural progression of what happens when we pause to remember—we give thanks to Him and continue calling on Him. We sing of Him, and talk with other believers of all He has done. Then we must go tell others of His greatness. When you stop to trace the work of God’s hand in your life and in the world around you, these things should just come naturally.
But the key to being able to rejoice in the past is not found in counting the number of good things that have happened, but in remembering that God remembers! You can rejoice because He never forgets His plan and He never forsakes His promises. Even when life is tough and things don’t seem to make sense to you, rest assured that He is in control and He is working out His plan. He has your best interest at heart. Knowing this should encourage and strengthen you to do your best to live for Him.
