I’ve been telling my stories to my daughter in the car when we are driving. Driving back from choir practice in the dark, I told her what it felt like when my parents got divorced (surprising and confusing). Driving to cross country practice, I told her about my first date with her papa (I thought it was a first date, he thought it was a last date). She won’t know my stories if I don’t tell her, and she can’t learn from the stories of her heritage if she doesn’t know them. The stories die with me if I don’t tell them.
God knows we are people who need stories to remember our history. Knowledge of our history is vital, but we won’t remember it unless we speak it regularly to each other and to our children. “Imprint these words of mine on your hearts and minds” (Deuteronomy 11:18). The remembrance of God’s character and works is the foundation of obedience. Without remembrance, we are adrift in a world without answers.
Our duty to remember is rooted in love. First, God’s commands are rooted in His love for us. He made us in love and purchased us back from sin in love so that we might be His children. On this foundation, we strive toward obedience (Deuteronomy 11:1). John writes, “This is how we know that we love God’s children: when we love God and obey his commands” (1 John 5:2).
Second, love, remembrance, and obedience are inseparable. God calls us to generational remembrance of His works (Deuteronomy 11:2). We have received the stories of those who came before, and our children cannot know what they have not seen, unless they are told. This is a serious and lifelong undertaking. We are to imprint God’s Word and works on our hearts and minds, so that we never forget (Deuteronomy 11:18-21).
Third, the fruit of remembrance is obedience and blessing. God tells the Israelites if they remember and keep His commands, they will have strength, long life, and blessing (Deuteronomy 11:8-9). Remembrance produces obedience. Obedience produces strength. Strength leads to victory and blessing in Him.
This victory and blessing are rooted in God’s promises, in God’s own righteousness. It is God Himself who drives out our enemies. It is in His strength that we are strong. His hand is at work from start to finish. He offers us the inheritance of blessing in Christ alone. This is the best blessing we can offer to others: teaching them to remember their Creator.
We live in a generation of forgetfulness, that often scoffs at obedience, and makes light of faithfulness. It is for this reason that we also too often find ourselves in a generation of weakness and cowardice, adrift. If we would see our children and our spiritual communities prosper, we must know and remember the Word and the works of God.
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60 thoughts on "Remember and Obey"
I’m glad to have this reminder of God always being in my life.
Yes, when I’m in the midst of anxiety, thinking the worst case scenario, I need to pause and remember who God is and what he has done.
When I remember God’s hand in my past, I can look at my future with courage.
Remembrance starts in the Word. When I don’t start my day in the Word how easy it is to forget and rush thru the day so caught up in the busyness. Keep me focused on you, oh God, as I wander so easily.
Remembrance produces obedience and obedience produces strength. Strength leads to victory and blessings in Him! Our lives and hope depend on remembering!
Great reminder of how forgetful we really are. How much I need to continue to share with my children and how important that is.
I like reading the connections of the old and new testaments in the daily devotional. Gives me a sense of peace. ❤️
What a solid reminder to remember☺️ Remember God. Remember what he has done and is doing. Often when I freak out it’s because I am forgetting that God is who he says he is. Faithful and just among many other things.
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I m not really sure how to answer you here. I’m no theologian or pastor with expertise. What I do know is God’s love for you. His covering and his protection. I do believe that God’s love for you remains even in our disobedience. David, Noah, Peter (denied Jesus) so many others who could be considered disobedience at times. I don’t believe that God withdraws blessing and covering because you made a poor choice. Sometimes, I think that if I didn’t do something I was uncomfortable about I wouldn’t leave my house. But, I do. I step out in faith that God is in control. If you’re doing something you know is “wrong” or sinful, perhaps your conscience ( sometimes the Holy Spirit, I think) IS talking to you and it would do you well to listen. If you are working hard to honor God in your daily life- He knows that. I remind my kids often when they are making decisions that are difficult : God knows your heart; trust that. And then remember that God’s got you!! Every breath, every moment. He delights in you!! Jesus gave that to us when he died in the cross.
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Update— ultrasound went great again today praise God! This week the baby started moving around! How great is our God! THANK YOU to everyone who has been praying ! It is such a blessing.
@mandy I’ve been thinking about prayer journaling for some time now too, but I have yet to do it! This is the encouragement I needed!
Maura, I feel the Lord brings us to this place with other women not only for the Bible study and devotionals but to this section. We gather here, read the needs of intercession prayer and we pray. We have experienced loss, joy and devastation. You and Victoria E have been on been on my mind especially. Stay focused on Him, He will guide you.
Great study today!
Victoria, what you wrote resonates with me, as I too struggle with anxiety and depression. I have had to lean on others too in my quest to hear from the Lord. Remembering can be hard, but is so important. I’ve been writing things I’m thankful for in my journal as a way to remember His blessings, both past and present. May this difficult season be over soon for the both of us and may we remember his blessings amongst the difficulty. Thanks for posting
Maura, this ministry also has daily readings for kids. At their She Reads Truth website you can go to the menu and find He Reads Truth and Kids Read Truth.
Such a good study today! I underline passages in my Bible that stand out or that I really want to remember – safe to say most of Deuteronomy 11 got underlined lol. Today’s reading made it even more clear to me that I need to keep a prayer journal so I can look back and remember all of the times God answered prayer, spoke to me, or worked something out in my life. God is so good! Happy Tuesday, sisters! xx
Remembrance and faith go hand-in-hand is not something new but it’s something, as Rebecca said, we must strive for. God is wanting us to have remember the examples in the Bible, in the lives of those around us and in our own lives and to continue the faith. Not only continue the faith but spread the faith. Eighteen years ago today me older son met the Lord in a drowning accident but I had faith the Lord would get me through it. The Lord got me through that and many other troubled times in my life because I remembered I could turn to Him and ask Him and Christ for help and they would be there for me.
Sisters, Finley, the little girl I care for, is having a VP shunt revision today please pray all goes well. Also for strength for her parents.
Be blessed my sisters in Christ and remember to have faith.
Hi sisters! Thank you for all who have been praying for me, if I can ask for continued prayers this morning as we have our last appointment and ultrasound at the fertility clinic and finally get to “graduate” to the regular OB full time. I am at 10 weeks after many months of treatment and heartache and learning firsthand how great and powerful and mighty is our God. Thank you!
Phoebe ! Thank you for this! I have felt like this in the past, I believe it is a subtle trick of the enemy to get us off the path of doing good.
Waiting. This struggle is real. I don’t have an easy answer, I often times ignore my emotions because I have depression and anxiety and my feelings often lie to me. I have found that spending as much time in the Word as I can has helped me to learn to hear God’s voice better. And in situations where it’s not clear, I ask another Godly friend or usually my husband or mom. I pray often to learn to discern God’s voice, bc Jesus says that His sheep know His voice. I will pray this for you as well. Don’t be embarrassed or upset, it is extremely hard sometimes.
This is good for my soul. I want to remember the stories God has written so far in my life. I especially love the phrase, “The stories die with me if I don’t tell them.” Very poetic.
Wow Kristi S thanks for posting that. I feel so fortunate my parents taught me about God before I got old and jaded, though I know God rescues people of every age and situation. It reminds me how important it is to teach my children when they are born about God.
@Ariel
Beautifully said @Ariel R. It strikes me how the most ignored commandment of God is the 4th commandment to rest by keeping the Sabbath. To rest from work, to rest from the cares of this world and devote the 7th day of the week (Friday sundown to Saturday sundown) to spending time with our Heavenly Father. The laws of God (the 10 commandments) mentioned in Deuteronomy and 1 John are the same, the first 4 commandments tell us how to love God and the last 6 tell us how to love each other, but 4th one so often gets disregarded.
Love this perspective. Thanks for sharing ❤️
Well said. Jesus did tell us in this life we will have trials and the apostles told us over and over to count trials as joy and that they build our character. The blessed thing about obedience is that it helps us to avoid unnecessary suffering caused by consequences and it helps us to endure necessary suffering <3
Today is more reminders and warnings from Moses! How grateful are we to have such reminders? Deuteronomy 11:7-12 reminds me that my salvation is not because of MY works but because of HIS – just like the land is not flowing with milk and honey because of the Israelites labor but because of His blessings.
Then I am reminded of Eden when I read Deuteronomy 11:13-17- this perfect place we’re we will all be satisfied but TAKE WARNING- because even Adam and Eve strayed!! It is so hard to stay obedient (even in perfect Eden) BUT GOD gave us His word to REMIND us to stay on the narrow path and LOVE!!! Wishing everyone a happy Tuesday!!
I think we need to remember though that while obedience does bring blessing, that doesn’t mean that we are entitled to live a life free from suffering. Just a thought as I read the devotion today. I think often, at least in the American church, we have this sense that because we have obeyed that we will never suffer and that’s not true.
Today is more reminders and warnings from Moses! How grateful are we to have such reminders? Deuteronomy 11:7-12 reminds me that my salvation is not because of MY works but because of HIS – just like the land is not flowing with milk and honey because of the Israelites labor but because of His blessings. Then I am reminded of Eden when I read Deuteronomy 11:13-17- this perfect place we’re we will all be satisfied
Dear Sisters, I was so blessed to see all the prayers going up for me and my granddaughters. Thank you all. Today’s message on remembering and the strength it brings, so true as I remember the ways He has provided it strengthens me in that I know nothing is impossible for our God. Lara Castillo, thank you I will look for the Daily Audio Bible Kids. I keep thinking there has to be things like this our youth so need to understand His love. Traci Gendron, thank you for sharing and your prayers. You are awesome! Mari V thank you for taking the time to pray as you were rushing in to work. Melanie, glad to hear your good news, praying for you, rest and quick healing. Wendy, thank you, yes so many young women and girls needing prayers, such a confusing rough world. Especially praying for the women and girls in Afghanistan. God’s protection. Searching, and Victoria E thank you so much. Pamela Aileen, praying for you and your family to see in you His grace, joy and love in Jesus. Dear ERB, I have heard of YWAM, would love to know more, Thank you my friend. May our God who does abundantly more than we ask bless you all this day with His peace. LOVE you all.
Phoebe!!! This has helped me so much. I thought I was alone in that kind of thinking. I sometimes would beat myself up and feel like I was only doing something because I was trying to get something from God which would then stop me in my tracks of doing what I know he told me to do in the first place. Such a distorted way of thinking that the enemy tries to confuse us with.
(mostly in response to yesterday.)
THANKS!
SARAHJOY – “Our mission field is right in front of our two feet.” – Jill Briscoe
CINDY HANNA – definitely thought-provoking, practical and moved me “Don’t trip on what is behind you.”
(And I love SEARCHING’s take on it.)
MAURA, thank you for sharing all this with us! I will continue to pray for you. We will understand if you don’t comment as often but, please don’t disappear…it won’t be the same without you!
MELANIE, and JANE K – praying for all.
CHANGED LIFE, still praying and here to support you whether you share or not.
(today)
PAMELA AILEEN, what you wrote is so powerful and really resonates… praying for what is before you!
KELLY’s comment to ARINA – Amen! I too need to trust the Lord to water and nurture for the times I have actually been faithful to plant seeds.
PHOEBE, that is so bang on! I have felt the same…not so much “selfish” as “manipulative” but you are right…GREAT!
How lovely is it that God took care of the land FOR THEM!! Lord Jesus, when You do this in my life, please don’t let me use the effort and time you have spared me in a wasteful manner. ❤️
[As an aside, I’d love to get into the car with REBECCA FAIRES and hear about the various perspectives of their first date…seems like it would be a great story :)]
“And his commands are not a burden…” 1 John . I wasn’t raised in a Christian home. The culture around me taught (and I believed) that the commands of God were oppressive and hateful. BUT GOD… I am so grateful that He has shown me how his commands are a gift that they lead to a relationship with Him and an abundant life! Thank you, Lord, for forgiving a sinner like me!
REMEMBER. Thankful for the repetition throughout this study. I need this reminder! REMEMBER Kath! How easy it is to forget and be distracted with life But God has been so good to me, to our family. Tonight we will have a family dinner to celebrate my daughter’s birthday and I will ask family to remember, to share stories of God’s goodness. And repeating some of the same ones? Obviously a great idea as Deuteronomy seems to be just that! The reading today made me think of this song, I love it as it helps me remember, trust and continue to obey. The Goodness of God. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=n0FBb6hnwTo
Hey ladies.
I’m a regular SRT reader and rarely post, but want to post anonymously today. A little embarrassed.
Asking for prayer. I’ve been struggling a lot with feelings vs Holy Spirit wisdom. I have had my car at the shop for almost a month. I wanted to finally pick it up today, as the guy have me the ok it is driveable, but I’m feeling like it’s not time. How do I know if that’s leaning on my own understanding or if my feelings are justified by wisdom?
I’ve REALLY struggled with discerning God’s voice when it comes to having strong feelings. I know we are to base out decisions on His word, but that is hard to do sometimes, when we don’t know how to apply it directly to our circumstance.
The reason I’m asking is that when I got into this car mess, I had an unrest in my spirit that I shouldn’t go somewhere. I did anyway and then my car trans broke.. and other issues..
I felt that because I didn’t have God’s peace (His approval) and did something, that was disobedience. Therefore,my car broke. Kind of like what we are studying today…. so this is hard…
So, now I’m trying to listen to my feelings to discern if I have His peace to do something. It’s really frustrating and difficult. God keeps reminding me of Romans 8:28. That He works all things together for good. I do trust that.
I’m just not sure when I’ll get my car and I’m frustrated … I don’t feel secure enough to go get it. What if I go and something bad happens because I disobey God’s will for me to wait ?
My friend offered to bring me today and then her car service light went on!! What if that’s a sign not to go?
Anyway. I feel better just confessing this struggle.
Love you ladies.
I’m struck by the additional passage today from 1 John “For this is what love for God is: to keep good commands. And to keep his commands is not a burden.” Lord, my excuses crumble under this passage. Bring me closer to you, your word and your laws. I long for you.
I’m struck by the additional passage from 1 John. “For this is what life got Good is:
Amazing reading & devotional thoughts today!! Lord, forgive me when I am stubborn & forget your faithfulness. Forgive me when I forget your goodness. It is your instruction which is the lifeblood of my life, YOU give me direction and from you alone is goodness & blessing. Help us to be a remembering people who choose the path of blessing! You are worthy of more praise & glory. This life is all about you God!
phoebe!!!!!! we think so much alike. i’m always questioning my motives, and often think this very thought!! praying against these lies that the enemy gets us stuck in.
I remember first learning how important remembrance is in the spiritual disciplines study w/ SRT. So much truth in today’s devotion I feel like I copied half of it in my notebook. “Remembrance produces obedience. Obedience produces strength. Strength leads to victory and blessing in Him.” Lord give me Your strength so I can be obedient to You alone, so I can have victory over the enemy!
Today’s reading has me going to Ecclesiastes 12:1-7. Since it’s a bit long, I’ll just post verse 1 here:
“Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, ‘I find no pleasure in them’”
Today’s reading has me going to Ecclesiastes 12:1-7. Since it’s a bit long I’ll just post verse 1 here:
Father forgive my disobedience. Amen
Sometimes in my flawed human logic, I see obedience as selfish because it gets me what I want. But looking deeper, the fruit of obedience isn’t something that I have created or decided on for myself. It isn’t getting what I alone want; it is getting what God’s character gives. It’s not like I’ve tricked Him into giving me good things; He IS good and the good that comes from obedience is what HE has established. I’m not actually getting what I want when I obey; I’m getting what He wants for me. I’m getting what I need. It’s a subtle shift in thinking that places God rightly over all, and me rightly below Him. I often have to great a view of myself and see things as revolving around me. But they truly (and rightly!) revolve around Him!
Sometimes in my flawed human logic, I see obedience as selfish because it gets me what I want. But looking deeper, the fruit of obedience isn’t something that I have created or decided on for myself. It isn’t getting what I alone want; it is getting what God’s character gives. It’s not like I’ve tricked Him into giving me good things; He IS good and the good that comes from obedience is what HE has established. I’m not actually getting what I want when I obey; I’m getting what He wants for me. I’m getting what I need.
MAURA, dear sweet friend, I am so sorry that you’re going through all this! I am however thankful to see how God has provided and is still providing!! …You mentioned housing and a study for young ladies 8-11 …I was involved in YWAM (youth with a mission) out in Colorado (Arvada) so I have a lot of people that I can reach out to in regards to this!! And if I have your permission? I will reach out and ask my friends there! Just let me know!! Much love to you dear friend!! As always dear friend, I am praying and standing with you every single day!! ❤️❤️❤️
Reflecting on my own family’s history and the generations that came before me. I am grateful for the storytellers that show God working personally in their lives. It’s hope knowing someday I will share my own stories of what God has done, and it brings strength to obey and see what God will do in my future!
I was so encouraged this morning by the fact that the Lord cared for the land they were going into! Especially in contrast to what they did when they were in slavery — irrigating the crops and “caring for the land themselves,” so to speak, I thought it was a beautiful picture of the rest found only through obedience in God.
Love your insight here! We all have a job to do!
Remember
Retell
Remember
Retell
Some stories are easy to retell, but we must retell of what God has done even when it is hard.
Imprint your words in my heart and mind so I never forget You.
“Imprint these words of mine on your heart”. Our actions change generations. My husbands grandfather was a minister. Served in his community and in both world wars as such. But to his family his faith made him hard and controlling. Three grandsons later “religion” is thought of as a means to control. Result? Generations suffer with hard hearts. It’s sad because they know the wrong stories. The wrong ones were passed on. The last section of the lesson resonates with me as being part of this generation of weakness and cowardice. I know the stories. I have seen the works of God. I don’t repeat them often but now I see I need to!! Our actions change generations. I want to be the polar opposite of the example those 3 boys saw. I have a job to do, don’t I!
The repetition of the theme of remembrance was apparent. I really appreciated verse 8 emphasizing this land was something they were inheriting; they didn’t earn it. It was gifted to them, and their obedience and faithfulness to God could ensure that gift is not removed.
I need to and remember Gods faithfulness. When I tell my kids it strengthens my faith at well. It is so easy to forget all of Gods goodness. Thank you for praying surgery went well for my FIL he is recovering in ICU. However I am not feeling well please pray I recovery quickly.
ARINA – thank you for the update! The seeds you planted are in God’s hands! You were obedient to plant them. REMEMBER them in your prayers and that the Lord of the harvest will send others to water and reep what you have sown in love
Without remembrance, we drift.
Remember, love and obey – straightforward, easy to understand. Lord, help me to walk in this way with You. Praying for those who don’t know You and those who have turned their backs on You.
MAURA – praying for your girls and for your housing needs.
FOSTER MAMA- thank you for the good report of your visit, continuing to pray.
MELANIE – praying the surgery went well and that your father in law’s recover will go smoothly.
CINDY HANNA – love that quote you shared yesterday! How often do I trip because I’m looking back, and what have I missed because I’m not looking forward?
Praying for those who are coping with the destruction from Ida, and praying the power can restored more quickly than the month that has been estimated.
Praying for those that are still in Afghanistan.
Salvation does not come from our obedience but obedience should be our response to it. God’s love and care for His people brings lavish provision. (ie Rain when need it instead of needing to manually water our garden) Our response to His love should be to do all He asks. We too easily turn to ourselves or others thinking what is offered is what we really need. This is why we need to REMEMBER all God has done for us.
Praying for your requests ❤