Remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness.

Deuteronomy 8:2b

According to one commentator I read, the word “remember” appears 137 times in the Bible. One interesting passage in Deuteronomy is when God exhorts the Israelites to “remember.” They were on the verge of entering the Promised Land — a daunting and scary prospect. God reminds them of how He’s been with them in the past: through plagues, the Red Sea, and hunger in the desert. Remembering the ways that God has been with us in the past can help us in the hard times we’re enduring right now, too. Remembering the times He’s answered our prayers, healed us, and provided what we needed helps us to trust Him for the present and the future. I know full well that “remembering” can be hard for us seniors, but asking God to jog our memories, reminiscing with friends and family, and keeping a journal can help.

Linda Winterhoff
Williamsburg, VA

Dear Lord, although we’re thankful that You don’t remember our sins, help us to remember all the ways You’ve been with us in our lives. Amen.

Reflect: Recall times you desperately needed God, and He was there!

Read: Psalm 77:11 and Isaiah 63:7