When you actually remember God you do not sin. The only way we ever sin is by suppressing God, by forgetting, by tuning out his voice, switching channels, and listening to other voices. When you actually remember, you actually change. In fact, remembering is the first change.[1]

Remembrance is the key to spiritual growth in our Christian lives. Remembrance is the key to keeping our hearts strong for God, and keeping the power of sin from exercising control over our hearts. Remembrance is to see God with our eyes, and to hear God with our ears, and to be spiritually alert to His presence. Our hearts fall into sin, when we forget God and switch our thinking to the channels of this world, tuning out God’s voice.

Have you ever considered that “remembering” is a significant part of our daily lives? We go to great lengths to remember treasured moments in life, like birthdays, anniversaries, and special occasions. We take pictures, videos and write special notes to capture important events so that these wonderful moments will not fade from our memory. We erect memorials, we write speeches, and we give heartfelt tributes so we do not forget. Remembering is a huge necessity in our lives, for time moves so quickly and it is so easy to forget.

When we do not remember, we allow the important things of life to lose their value. Forgetting can bring death to a relationship and cause the heart to move in a completely different direction. Remembering helps to deepen relationships, forge bonds, and strengthen the chords of love. This is why remembering is so important to our physical and spiritual lives.

We must also make a focused effort to remember God and the promises of His Word. God should be at the top of the list on our daily reminders. When we do not remember, we lose a part of our heart for God. Our heart begins to weaken and crumble for God when we consistently fail to remember Him. Our lives should be so structured in our daily routines and habits that we do not forget Him. We must build our lives around God where we acknowledge Him in all our ways, by having our hearts continually fixed upon Him, and thinking of Him at all times, for remembering is the key to our walk with God.

The Bible Illustrates the Importance of Remembering

We see how God understood the vital importance of remembering when we look at the vast number of times memorials, appointed feast days, written records, and even names were used throughout the Bible so the people of God do not forget. The Passover was to be a memorial day for Israel throughout all generations so they would never forget God’s mighty acts and deliverance from the bondage of Egypt. The Feast of Trumpets would occur every year on the first day of the seventh month. It was a memorial proclaimed with a blast of trumpets. It was a solemn day of rest and reflection, a call to repentance so one could take spiritual inventory of their life in preparation for the Day of Atonement. The blowing of the trumpets was a wakeup call for God’s people to abandon their sinful ways and return to Him. It was a time to remember the Creator and His grace and mercy. It was a time of somber examination of the ways of the heart, and a celebration of God’s redemption for their sins through the blood of a sacrifice. God wanted Israel to never forget the depravity of their sinful nature and the glorious redemption provided by the hand of a loving God.

In Numbers, God commanded the people of Israel to make tassels on the corners of their garments so they remember all the commandments of the Lord and obey them. When God miraculously parted the river Jordan, and Israel crossed over into the Promised Land, Joshua took twelve stones from the Jordan setting them up as a memorial so that God’s people would never forget. The holy presence of God represented by the Ark of the Covenant had entered into the Promised Land and was to be brought to mind by this memorial. Before Joshua died, he set a stone as a witness so Israel would not forget their covenant to serve the Lord faithfully with all their heart, and throw away the false gods of their ancestors.

In the requirements for a king in Deuteronomy, the king was to write for himself a copy of the law, and it was to be constantly with him so he could read it all the days of his life. His personal, hand-written copy of the Word of God was so he could remember the commandments of God, and never let his heart turn from them. On a larger scale, this is why God has given us His God-breathed written Word and faithfully preserved it through the generations, so we will not forget it, but study, meditate, confess, and obey it.

I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word. (Psalm 119:15-16, ESV)

Communion: A Covenant of Remembrance

During his ministry on the earth, Jesus pressed upon the hearts of his disciples the importance of not forgetting his words of life. Even on the night Jesus was betrayed, he spoke words for his disciples to always remember. He established a covenant of remembrance, a communion of intimate fellowship of his body and blood, which is an everlasting memorial to never forget what Jesus accomplished for us on the cross. It is a beautiful ceremony to remember the salvation and redemption that our wonderful Savior paid for us through his sacrifice as the true Passover Lamb. He took the bread which represented his body which was broken, beaten, wounded and crushed for our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual healing and said “Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.” He took the cup which represented his blood which paid for every sin that held us in bondage and separated us from the heart of God and cleansed us from all unrighteousness and said “This cup is the new covenant in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.” We must never allow our hearts to forget the amazing significance of the body and blood of Jesus Christ, and the eternal salvation, justification and righteousness He accomplished for all those who believe.

The Name of Yahweh: A Memorial to All Generations

Throughout the United States and the world there are memorials that commemorate important events in history that are to be remembered. God has given us a greater memorial that stands before all generations as a witness to His majesty, holiness, and goodness, which is His name, Yahweh.

Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.’ (Exodus 3:15, NKJV)

God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you. This is my eternal name, my name to remember for all generations. (NLT)

The name of Yahweh stands as a memorial, a remembrance, and a monument to be engraved in our hearts so we never forget the glorious character of our God. We must constantly bring to our conscious thoughts the significance of the name of Yahweh. Develop a keen spiritual awareness of this name above all names and enter into a covenant of remembrance so that you will never forget the power, mercies, glory, and benefits of the name of Yahweh. Knowing the treasures of wisdom and knowledge revealed in the name of Yahweh will allow you to enter into deeper intimacy and fellowship with Him. To know His name is to know God and this knowledge brings overflowing joy and peace to your heart.

It was Yahweh who breathed into Adam’s nostrils the breath of life, and Yahweh is also our life, the source of our being, and we should be closer to him than our very breath. Isaiah 64:7 declares there was no one who stirred and awakened themselves to take a strong hold of the great name Yahweh and call upon that name in every dilemma and circumstance in life. Oh how we have failed to recognize the immeasurable majesty of His name, and take a firm hold upon it and never let go!

Never forget that God is Yahweh Avinu, the Lord our Father, who loves, nurtures, guides and protects us as His beloved children; who runs to meet us, dancing over us with singing; who treasures us and wants to walk with us daily in the deepest bonds of affection, and who is the giver of everything we will need in life.

Never forget that God is Yahweh Jireh, the Lord who sees all our needs to the minutest detail and abundantly provides for each one of them. His supply is endless, and He is never late in His wonderful care. He is our provision, sufficiency and satisfaction. He is the bread that nourishes us and the water that quenches our thirst.

Never forget that He is Yahweh Rapha, the Lord who heals every wound, sickness, hurt and malady of the heart. He is the Great Physician and Supernatural Healer of our bodies, emotions, and minds. He is the God that gives perfect wholeness and soundness of body, soul and spirit. He is our cure, our remedy, our repairer and our healer.

Never forget He is Yahweh Shalom, the Lord our peace, who has reconciled us to Himself through Christ, giving us inner tranquility and quiet assurance that cannot be shaken by the fears and anxieties of this age. He is the peace that reigns in our hearts giving us complete unity and harmony with Him where we are never disturbed, stressed or troubled by the raging waters of life.

Never forget He is Yahweh Nissi, the Lord our banner of victory, canopy of protection, and place of refuge. He is our rallying point when all else has failed, who gives us His strength and stands right beside us interceding in every crisis.

Never forget He is Yahweh Roi, the Lord my personal and loving shepherd, my special friend and companion, who tenderly cares for me, guiding and watching over me as His cherished possession; who leads me through the deepest valleys and through the darkest night into the safety of His pasture and the warmth of His dwelling place.

Never forget He is Yahweh Zidkenu, the Lord our righteousness, who has paid the price for our redemption through the gift of His Son and brought us into a right relationship with Him. He justified us, freeing us from the penalty and consequences of sin, and enabling us to boldly come before the throne of His grace and enjoy His sweet presence.

Never forget He is Yahweh Osenu, the Lord our Maker, who has intricately woven every detail of our being in our mothers’ womb with the touch of His loving hand. He made us for Himself so we can enjoy each other in the deepest relationship, and He designed a mighty purpose and plan for our lives that will bring glory to His name.

Never forget He is Yahweh Mekaddishkhme, the Lord our sanctifier, who set us apart from the corruption of this world and seated us in the heavenlies with Christ, having made us His holy, beloved children, His very own possession, His royal priesthood, and His purified saints so that we may shine as the lights of this world and show forth in brilliant splendor the immeasurable and incomparable greatness of our God.

Never forget He is Yahweh Sabaoth, the Lord of Hosts, the Captain of the Lord’s Armies, the General of the Heavenly Battalions, who bears His mighty arm for His people, fighting every battle for us and defeating every foe. He is our courageous defender, our valiant protector and our fearless warrior who charges into the battlefield on our behalf crushing the enemy in victorious triumph. He is our Lord and Commander who is unstoppable, immoveable and undefeatable as He counts it His highest honor to guard and protect us from the onslaughts of the enemy.

Never forget He is Yahweh Ezer, the Lord our Help, who carries our burdens upon His shoulders; who is our support, deliverer and refuge. He succors us and tenderly nurses our wounds and shields us from every destructive attack upon our hearts. He tenderly holds us by the right hand in the midst of life’s fiercest storms, and is ever present to help us even in our darkest hour. He rides the heavens and hears the cry of His beloved children and swiftly comes to their rescue.

Never forget He is Yahweh Tsur, the Lord my rock, my firm foundation, my mighty fortress of strength, my tower of refuge, and my powerful defense so I will be not be moved. He is our Rock of Ages who is a safe haven, a wall of protection, and an abiding place of shelter and comfort. He is our solid Rock where we stand immovably secure in the midst of the descending rains, roaring floods and treacherous quicksand of life. He is the pillar of our confidence, the solid surety of our path, and the rock of our salvation.

Never forget He is Yahweh Shammah, the Lord is there, always present in all His glory, power and strength. He will never leave us alone or forsake us, but holds us tightly to His breast, never releasing His gentle hold of us. He is our promise of living in His presence for all eternity. We are His dwelling place, His Holy of Holies, and His permanent home where He lives. The fire of His holy presence purifies our hearts, and burns away the chaff of everything that holds us back from loving Him with all our heart. He is closer to us than our breath. He is our heartbeat, the essence of our life as we grow into full union with Him in every aspect of our being.

Oh may my heart never forget the glories of His name! Oh may my heart brand these truths upon you with the fires of His presence so I will always remember everything my God is. I will never let anything crowd out the name of Yahweh from my heart! Psalm 9:10 declares “And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, for You, O Lord have not forsaken those who seek You.” When I know your name, my heart will trust in you at all times. When I know your name, I will have no doubt that you will never forsake me or turn your back on me. When I know your name, faith will be the mighty bulwark of my heart, and unbelief will have no place, no root and no room in my heart. May my heart never take your name in vain by emptying it of its weight and significance by my forgetfulness.

Tendency to Forget God in Times of Blessings

One of the greatest temptations to forget God and His name is when life is good, and we seemly have everything we need, and the heart is lulled into a state of spiritual forgetfulness. In Deuteronomy God set forth for all to see this dangerous tendency of the human heart to forget God in times of blessings.

Beware lest you forget Yahweh your God, in not keeping his commandments, and his ordinances, and his statutes, which I command you today; Lest, when you have eaten and are full, and have built fine houses, and lived in them; And when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold is multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; Then your heart might be lifted up, and you forget Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. (Deuteronomy 8:11-14, WEB)

America: The Land of Forgetfulness

Our hearts wanders into forgetfulness when it has an abundance of food, material possessions, and prosperity. Is there any country that could be labeled the land of forgetfulness more than America? To shun God from our consciousness and push Him from our memories has become an increasing way of life in America. We get lost in our possessions, as we are satisfied with our beautiful houses, our beloved cars, our endless technology, our wonderful comforts, our limitless choices of food, and our diversity of entertainment. We unendingly engage our IPads, IPhones, IPods, flat screen TV’s, Xboxes, sporting events, movies and music. We disconnect from God, days, weeks and months at a time. God is a momentary fleeting thought or a brief interruption in our day, but there is no memorial or remembrance in our heart of God’s name, blessings, and greatness. We are too busy to remember God. We think that we have all we need and we do not need God anymore. America has become the great promoter of this culture of forgetfulness. We have failed to remember the God who has blessed us. We have failed to remember the Creator who has given us life, but regretfully, our hearts are lifted up with pride and we have chosen to forget Him.

Forgetfulness is at the center of all rebellion against God. Forgetfulness is always the first step in the downward spiral of the heart. If you forget God, the condition of your heart will be weak and diseased. If we develop a habit of forgetting God for the majority of our time, then our heart will never grow up in spirit and truth into a mighty reflection of Christ. You must examine yourself daily to see if this habit of forgetfulness of God and His Word is dominating your heart? What do you think about during the day? What do you remember the most? What barely occupies a moment of your thought life? Do you constantly remember Scriptures throughout the day and hide these precious words in the depths of your heart or do you remember more the latest sports scores or statistics, the current TV shows and their storylines, and the lyrics of the hottest hits on radio? Do we spend more time watching television and surfing the internet than we spend with God in prayer?

What do you remember day by day? This is a crucial question in determining the condition of the heart. Are God and the significance of His name pushed out so we can remember other things? We must prayfully realize that failing to remember is the great sin of the heart, for out of forgetfulness comes every evil imagination and wicked action. Forgetfulness is a serious environmental contaminant to the heart. Forgetfulness causes the heart to become polluted because the walls of protection crumble, opening the floodgates for the enemy to pour in all the corruption of His kingdom. This is why the Devil actively promotes and molds a culture of forgetfulness. It allows the enemy access, for forgetfulness is a serious breach in the security of our hearts. If we do not remember God, whatever we are building is on a foundation of sinking sand. It cannot stand. It will fall.

God’s Love Motivates Us to Not Forget

So how can we develop a strong habit of remembering God’s mighty words and name? How do we not forget God? How do we not allow God to fade from our memory? The fundamental, motivating truth to not forget God is centered in His incredible love for us. When our eyes are opened, and we begin to see the exceeding greatness and limitlessness of His love and grace, we will remember Him, we will treasure Him, and we will love Him with all our hearts.

Loving God means we will not forget Him nor cast Him aside from our memory. We love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength for we have remembered His love for us. We do not forget because we know we are the memorial of love that God has placed in the center of His heart. In the midst of this fathomless love, He has whispered in our ears an amazing and heart-changing promise. Could this promise really be true? Yes, beyond any shadow of a doubt for God does not lie! He does not break His promises. He has given us His Word, and He is always faithful to it. He has uttered from the depth of His heart His vow of love to you, and He will never dishonor it. This unbreakable and eternal pledge of love, reserved for you every day you draw breath upon this earth is, “I will not forget you!”

“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me. (Isaiah 49:15-16, NIV)

For He, God Himself, has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. I will not, I will not, I will not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let you down (relax My hold on you)! Assuredly not! (Hebrews 13:5b, AMP)

One of the deepest relationships of unconditional love in human existence is the bond between a mother and child. It is a close physical and emotional attachment that is the height of human intimacy. A nursing mother is sharing part of herself with her child bringing life, nourishment, strength and health to her precious one. Yet even a nursing mother may commit the unthinkable, and forget and abandon her child.

But God’s love for YOU is a million times deeper than the incredible love of a nursing child and mother. God’s love is perfect and has an irrevocable guarantee that even a mother cannot make. We know for sure beyond any shadow of a doubt that God will never, ever forget YOU. Not even for a second. God thinks about YOU all the time. YOU are always on His mind. YOU will never fade from His memory. God promises that He will never fail YOU, never forsake YOU, never leave YOU helpless, never leave YOU without support, and never give up on YOU. Never!

God has engraved or tattooed YOU on the palms of His hand as a divine memorial that He will never forget YOU. He has stamped YOU into Himself. YOU are a part of him. YOU are engraved into His very being. YOU are etched into His heart. YOU have an indelible union with God’s own heart, and He has tattooed a portrait of YOU on His palms so He always sees you, and is always near to you. He wants to be close to YOU. He gazes with burning love at His portrait of YOU. He longs for YOUR love. He yearns for YOU. God could no sooner forget YOU than He could forget Himself. He constantly takes out YOUR picture simply to remember how much He loves and cares for YOU. God’s desire, God’s passion and God’s craving is always for YOU. His portrait of YOU is His most special possession. YOU are the centerpiece of His heart.

Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. (Luke 12:6-7, NIV)

It is estimated that there are billions of sparrows in the world. Throughout all the vast continents on earth from the thick woods to the open field, God has never forgotten a single sparrow. These creatures have no fear because they know God always remembers them and takes care of them.

Do you know that the average person has between 100,000 to 150,000 strands of hair on their head and God has counted each one? This is how intimately He knows you. This is how deeply He loves you. If He never forgets even one sparrow, what makes you think He will ever forget you? We must never allow our heart to sink into fear and doubt, and believe that God has forgotten us or forsaken. Oh let our heart see the tenderness in His eyes, the gentleness of His embrace, the sweetness of His presence and the comfort of His touch! If you could only see how He looks for you, how He longs for you, and how He desires you. God Almighty, who sits enthroned in the heavens, whose majesty exceeds the wonders of the mountains, oceans and stars, is in love with you. The great Shepherd Psalm tells us His goodness and love relentlessly pursues us all the days of our lives. How could your heart ever forget such an awesome God?

God Deserves to be Remembered

Doesn’t God deserve to be your first love? Doesn’t God deserve to be remembered? Can you hear Jesus whispering to your heart “Do you love me more than all of these things of the world?” “Do you really love me?” “Do I have your heart?” The essence of building a strong heart for God is all wrapped up in this one essential truth: “Do not forget Him.” His works and His words were made to be remembered. His love, grace, mercy, goodness and kindness are so awesome that they are incomparable, unparalleled, and unrivaled by anything in the heavens and earth.

We must remember! We cannot forget! For if we forget the magnificence of His name, if we allow our memory to weaken and He begins to fade away, and if we fail to remember the greatness and supremacy of our God, then we have written a prescription of destruction for our hearts. It all begins with structuring our thoughts, activities and time so we do not forget.

The world wants you to forget. The hectic pace of this life with its limitless distractions screams at our heart to forget. But the cost is too high. The dangers are too grave. The first brick we must lay in order to build a heart that is strong for God is to not forget Him, no matter how big the distraction, or how luring the temptation, or how loud the noise. We must remember our God. He must be engraved on the forefront of our hearts. We must pledge to always remember Him and consider His ways and words as the true compass of our hearts. In the journey of our heart it is the most important mission. We can never forget God or we will lose our heart. Remembering is an act of survival of the heart.

We must never lose sight of our God. Failing to fix our eyes on Him, and not remembering Him, will shipwreck our faith and extinguish the passion in our relationship with Him. Whatever we do, we do in remembrance of Him, whatever we say, we say in remembrance of Him. Wherever we live, we live in remembrance of Him. In Him we live and move, and have our very being. The more we remember, the more we love and treasure our God, and our heart will go through an amazing transformation of spiritual growth. Our life will be His life, our words will be His words, our deeds will be His deeds, our touch will be His touch, and our heart will shine forth brilliantly the light of God in this dark world.

God must be remembered so He can be loved, worshiped, and adored. We must remember His words so we know His instructions for our lives, and can follow the right paths He has chosen for us. We must remember His works so that we will know His plans of redemption, restoration, transformation, deliverance and salvation. We must remember His attributes so that we will know the immensity of our God, and never doubt His power to rescue, protect and defend us. We must remember His name so that we will know who our God is and the glorious attributes of His nature. May your heart cry out “Bless the Lord O my soul, and all that is within me bless His holy name. Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all His benefits” (Psalm 103:1-2). We must remember all His wonderful promises, and that God is a Rewarder and He loves to reward His children as stated in Matthew 5:8, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” You must forever realize that YOU are God’s beloved, His most treasured possession, His priceless masterpiece, and His cherished child and His desire is only YOU, for you were created for His glory and honor. We must also remember that God is to be your most beloved, your most valued possession, your priceless Creator and your treasured Father. Your desire is to be only for HIM.

He is our first love, our first passion, our first thought, our first embrace, our first praise and our first look. He needs always to be the first song of our heart. Let us make the first promise of our heart from this day forward: “Lord, I will not forget you! Wherever I am, whatever I do, and wherever I go, I will always remember you! I promise you will always be the true remembrance of my heart, I will never let you fade from my memory. I will never allow my thoughts to turn from you. I will never allow my heart to wander from your counsel and presence. Lord help me to never, ever forget you!”

Excerpt from “The Heart: The Key to Everything in the Christian Life.” by Tim Rowe

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[1] David Powlison, “Making All Things New: Restoring Pure Joy to the Sexually Broken.” Desiring God. September 25, 2004, http://www.desiringgod.org/messages/making-all-things-new-restoring-pure-joy-to-the-sexually-broken