Remember and Obey
Open Your Bible
Deuteronomy 11:1-32, 1 John 5:1-4
BY Rebecca Faires
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.
60 thoughts on "Remember and Obey"
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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.
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@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!
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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.
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Great study today!
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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