“Rejoice in the LORD, you righteous, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy Name.” – Psalm 97:12, NKJV

I am fairly good at remembering events and people’s names.

Don’t we all feel pleased and valued when someone unexpectedly mentions our name, say after a long period of absence?

Whenever I visit a new country, I also try to bring back memorabilia – a memento or souvenir of some sort –to serve as a reminder or keepsake of that place or experience.

That’s why many of us insist on journaling or taking selfies or asking for autographs for purposes of remembrance.

The Greek word for ‘remembrance’ is mneia, and it’s from this word that we derive the English word ‘mnemonic’ – a tool or technique used to aid memory or to make certain information easier to recall.

In our meditation today, the psalmist says; “Rejoice in the LORD, you righteous, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy Name.”

God expects us to remember how far His faithfulness, grace and mercy  have brought us.

In Luke 22:19, our Lord Jesus told the Church to always have Holy Communion “in remembrance of Me.”

Losing memory of the significance of Christ’s sacrifice for our sins on the Cross can be disastrous.

Indeed, Jesus told the disciples that one of the important roles of the Holy Spirit was to “bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said to you” (John 14:26).

Knowing that forgetting is an inherent human weakness, God told the Children of Israel on their way to the Promised Land: “But you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers” (Deuteronomy 8:18).

Failing to remember God’s previous blessings or interventions can lead to pride or self-conceit or a lack of gratitude, causing us to become more focused on our current problems or circumstances than counting our blessings.

Today, regardless of what you’re going through, challenge your own soul to build a memorial called ‘Ebenezer’ – thus far the Lord has helped you!

Remembering past experiences where divine intervention or guidance was evident can be the fuel that drives our faith through turbulent times.  

Forgetting those moments may lead to weakened faith and a diminished sense of trust in divine Providence.

Recalling how God upheld you and the ‘helpers’ He brought to you in the past can provide the strength and resilience you need during present or future challenging times.

On the other hand, losing memory of those episodes can make our circumstances look bigger than they actually are.

Even if some past experiences might have been undesirable, they carry valuable lessons.

Losing memory of those episodes can mean missing out on these lessons, which might lead to repeating the same mistakes or failing to grow from past experiences.

Indeed, as the psalmist suggests, acknowledging and remembering what the Lord did in the past can deepen our relationship with God – evoking an attitude of rejoicing in the LORD as well as thanksgiving.

Giving thanks at the remembrance of Jesus’ holy Name implies expressing joy, gratitude and reverence when reflecting on God’s consistent, unchangeable and invariable character, not only throughout the generations but also over the years of our own life experience.

Just imagine how different our attitude would be if we consistently allowed the Holy Spirit to remind us of the past victories, testimonies and divine interventions!

In Psalm 103:2, David told himself; “Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits,” before describing the various aspects of God’s goodness – forgiveness, healing, provision and redemption.

Today, regardless of what you’re going through, challenge your own soul to build a memorial called ‘Ebenezer’ – “thus far the Lord has helped me“!