Do you know the secret to get the full benefit of remembering the good? It's not ignoring the brutal reality you may have faced or still deal with. The message "Why everyone needs to practice the rhythm of remembering" explores the biblical mandate for believers to consciously remember the acts of God in their lives and in history. It underscores the importance of memory in sustaining faith, fostering gratitude, and guiding future actions in accordance with God's will.
Trevor H Lund is the founder of Live LIGHT Academy at https://livelight.ca and the Content Creator at https://revtrev.com Subscribe and set notifications on https://revtrev.com/tv for past videos and live casts and https://revtrev.com/radio to subscribe to his podcast wherever you listen.
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When was the last time you caught yourself smiling at a memory? Memories have this ineffable quality of transporting us back to moments that are etched in the corridors of our consciousness.
They come upon us, often unexpectedly, as whispers from the past, carried on a scent, sound, emotion or sentiment of days gone by.
I hope you can think of a time recently that a smile came to face thinking about something you really appreciate. If you can’t, my prayer is this message will prompt you to make it part of the rhythm of your day to day of everyday.
The Problem with memories
The problem is we may have memories that aren’t the best. Sometimes we can remember times we were held up for ridicule and it’s harder to remember the times we’ve been encouraged. Maybe we remember the pain stronger than we remember the healing. We may remember the loss and forget to remember the blessing that God ultimately made of it.
Jeremiah knew that all too well. Let’s look at his lament. It’s powerful.
Lamentations 3:1-24 (NIV) I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of the LORD’s wrath. He has driven me away and made me walk in darkness rather than light; indeed, he has turned his hand against me again and again, all day long. He has made my skin and my flesh grow old and has broken my bones. He has besieged me and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship. He has made me dwell in darkness like those long dead. He has walled me in so I cannot escape; he has weighed me down with chains. Even when I call out or cry for help, he shuts out my prayer. He has barred my way with blocks of stone; he has made my paths crooked. Like a bear lying in wait, like a lion in hiding, he dragged me from the path and mangled me and left me without help. He drew his bow and made me the target for his arrows. He pierced my heart with arrows from his quiver. I became the laughingstock of all my people; they mock me in song all day long. He has filled me with bitter herbs and sated me with gall. He has broken my teeth with gravel; he has trampled me in the dust. I have been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is. So I say, “My splendor is gone and all that I had hoped from the LORD.” I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father
There is no shadow of turning with Thee
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be
Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me
Does remembering really matter?
You probably haven’t heard about what’s happening to Armenians who have lived in an area now claimed by Azerbaijani since the 13th century. https://time.com/6322574/cultural-genocide-armenia-nagorno-karabakh-essay/
They were starved out for 9 months and battles were fought and in September 2023; 100,000 Armenians were forced out of homes they had lived for generations. And grave yards and churches are being ploughed under. Armenian writing is chipped off of monuments. The Azerbaijan are attempting to rewrite history to say the area had never been Christian.
Remembering is so important in life. It passes what was before to what is yet to come. We are what we remember. Testimony is that critical.
We need to remember the goodness of God. Remembering the goodness of God is essential for maintaining a strong faith, experiencing true peace, and living a life of thanksgiving. It is through remembering God's past faithfulness that we can find strength and hope for the present and future.
It’s not about putting on rose-coloured glasses and ignoring the reality-however brutal-that we find ourselves in. It’s about encouraging ourselves and encouraging each other that we have seen God’s goodness in the past so we will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. It’s about healed and whole memories; life-giving testimony; and the pathway of gratitude that leads us there.
The rhythm of remembering is the dance of a thankful heart.
Can I pray?
You have rhythms to help you remember…
…at Christmas we remember God came.
…every time we take communion we remember Christ’s sacrifice.
…whenever we celebrate Easter, we remember His death and resurrection
…when we give thanks for our food we remember His provision for our lives.
…when we practice a sabbath we remember that God rested and enjoyed his good creation so we need rest and enjoy his blessings.
These can become religious relics or be commercial wastelands if we don’t remember the reasons… and remember them with gratitude.
The rhythm of remembering is the dance of a thankful heart.
Tell the story in Joshua 3:1 - 5:1
After the children of Israel had wondered in the desert until everyone except Joshua and Caleb, who knew life a slave in Egypt had died. It was time to enter the promised land.
Moses had just died (Deut. 31:1-4). Joshua was the new leader and even though he would have been in his 70’s or early 80’s he was told to be strong and courageous. He was to carefully study the book of instructions that Moses had left and to meditate on it day and night so he might obey it so that he could be prosperous and successful in whatever he did.
But what stood between the people and the land that their ancestor Abraham had been promised, was the Jordon River.
And it was during the rainy season.
And it was overflowing.
In the quiet stillness of the morning, as the first rays of sunlight began to touch the earth, Joshua and the children of Israel stood poised on the edge of destiny. Before them lay the Jordan River, its waters an emblem of the final barrier between them and the Promised Land. The air was thick with anticipation, for the moment they had longed for, through years of wandering and dreaming, was at hand.
Joshua, a leader molded in the crucible of faith and obedience, received divine instruction that would chart the course of history. He had his officers go though the camp and give these instructions to the people, “When you see the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God, carried by the Levitical priests, you are to move out from your positions and follow it, because you’ve never been this way before.” The Ark, a sacred chest signifying God’s presence, would lead them through this uncertain path. "However, keep a distance of about half a mile (2000 cubits) between you and the Ark; do not go near it,"
On the third day, Joshua spoke to the people with a voice that carried the weight of impending change. "Consecrate yourselves," he declared, "for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you." The heart of every man, woman, and child was stirred; they prepared themselves, not just in body but in spirit, for they knew that they were on the cusp of witnessing the power of their God.
As dawn broke on the following day, the priests took up the Ark of the Covenant and stepped into the overflowing waters of the Jordan. Yet, as the soles of the priests' feet touched the water's edge, the waters from upstream stopped flowing; they rose in a heap, creating a path that could be crossed. The people crossed over opposite Jericho, their hearts pounding with awe and their eyes wide with wonder at the power of their God.
And when the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and the Canaanite kings who lived along the coast heard that God had dried up the Jordan so the people of Israel could cross, they lost heart and were paralyzed with fear.
After everyone got across, Joshua commanded one man from each of the twelve tribes to take a stone from the middle of the Jordan, from right where the priests stood. These stones would serve as a memorial to the generations yet unborn—a testament to when their faith in the Lord had paved a way through impossible waters.
What are your remembrance stones?
If you’ve walked along with God for any length of time, you have been through deep waters and He has been with you. You have gone through rivers of difficulty and He has not let you drown. You have walked through the fires of oppression and have not been burned up the flames have not consumed you.
You have seen the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. He has worked all things together for the good of making you and others more and more like Jesus.
And if you don’t think you have or He did, that’s what we need to deal with.
You need a rhythm of remembering.
The rhythm of remembering is the dance of a thankful heart.
What If….
What if you could look back at times that have been so tough to get through with more excitement and expectation than you could even imagine? What if doubts and fears for the future melted away because you couldn’t wipe the smile off you face when you thinking about how good God has been to you in past?
Imagine…
What would happen if you could more easily remember God's faithfulness. As we trust in Him your heart would be filled with peace that surpasses understanding, your mind would be anchored in hope, and your actions would reflect the love and grace you have received. There is power in remembering healed and whole memories. There is grace in giving and receiving life-giving testimony. The pathway of gratitude that leads us to both.
How do you do that?
That’s a great question, I’m so glad you asked.
Rhythm of Remembering Tool - RECALL
RECALL
R - Remember the good things God has done Revelation 12:11
E - Expect God to do it again Revelation 19:10
C - Challenge the narrative of the enemy John 10:10
A - Agree to give thanks 1 Thessalonians 5:18
L - Lean into gratitude Colossians 3:16
L - Level up appreciation Psalm 107:1–2
R - Remember the good things God has done
And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die. Revelation 12:11 NLT
Testimony come from historical acts of God. These can be in the Bible. They can come from what others experience. They need to also come from our own experience.
What are your remembrance stones?
If you can’t think of any
1. Learn to celebrate what God has done and is doing
2. Start setting up remembrance stones Set up remembrance stones - locations, emotions, smells, scripture - write in the margins in your Bible. Journal.
3. Ask Holy Spirit to reveal times God has shown you He is good. Write them in the back of your Bible. Make your own family heirloom.
What are some of my remembrance stones?
E - Expect God to do it again
Then I fell at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow slave with you and your brothers who have the testimony about Jesus. Worship God, because the testimony about Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Revelation 19:10 HCSB
When we talk about Jesus and what He has done, we are inviting Him to do this again. When miracles break out, they happen to many. When baptisms start there is always more on the way. When salvation are celebrated, there are more coming. The Homogenous Unit Principle is “Like attracts like.” It’s my experience that it happens in the spiritual as well.
If you need a breakthrough in an area, start collecting testimonies of people who have had breakthrough in those areas. If God did it before, He can do it again. If He did it for them, He’ll do it for me. What do you talk about when you gather on Sunday? We should talk about what God has done and is doing. We should be laughing with those who laugh and cry with those who cry…all the time we talk about the good things of God. Face to face is so much better than YouTube…but if you have a specific breakthrough you need and no one around has that testimony to share, chances are you’ll find a testimony or two on YouTube.
God will turn your test into a testimony. Are you needing a rise in expectation?
Am I believing God will do it again?
C - Challenge the narrative of the enemy
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10 NIV
It’s easy to agree with the enemy when we look at what we lack or what we’ve loss. You can go to Holy Spirit and ask Him to reveal the lie you’re believing.
This is how you can remember healed and whole memories.
Tear Down Strongholds Tool - PAUSE
Ask Holy Spirit to reveal the truth.
Ponder
How does that make me feel right now?
What comes to mind as I focus on what I’m feeling? What memory comes to mind?
Ask
How does the memory make me feel?
Why do I feel that way?
Why does believing _____ make me feel ______?
Does another memory come to mind with that emotion? If NOT, this is the stronghold Holy Spirit wants to work on.
Understand
Not that it’s true, but it feel true that _________
Do I sense any resistance or hesitancy at the thought of doing the opposite behaviour? What do I believe would happen if I did what I’m resisting? What’s the reason for my behaviour?
Seek
Lord, what do you want me to know about this memory?
Allow Holy Spirit to tell you the truth about the memory. Ask Him if he wants you to release the person you’re angry with.
Remember to ask Him to replace the lie with the truth. Your test becomes your testimony when He does.
Evaluate
Do I still feel that _______ is true?
What’s the truth you want to reveal?
A - Agree to give thanks
Decide to give thanks.
Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT
You need to be specific. “I’m thankful for my dog who licked my hand when I was sad” rather than just being thankful for “my dog”.
What three things can I choose to give thanks for today?
L - Lean into gratitude
Feel Gratitude.
Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. Colossians 3:16 NIVUK
You need to FEEL thankfulness from the memory. This is key. It’s more than just choosing to say, “I’m thankful for my kids.” In the moment embrace the feeling of being thankful for your kids. It doesn’t have to be long. It does need to be sincere.
Can I feel gratitude for the three things I choose to give thanks for?
L - Level up appreciation
Show appreciation.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies. Psalm 107:1–2 NLT
Finally put an action to the feeling of thankfulness. This could be hugging the person if they are near. It may mean keeping a gratitude journal writing out what you’re feeling.
How can I show God and others my appreciation?
A gratitude journal is what leads to being 10% happier. That’s what been tested . Scientists have found a gratitude journal for 28 days where what was written was felt and appreciated leads to a 10% higher feeling of happiness.
10% more happiness is the same amount of happiness you’d feel if your income doubled in the next 28 days.
In that time you’ll change your wiring and be 10% more grateful.
All you need to do is remember ALL -
A - Agree to give thanks
L - Lean into gratitude
L - Level Up Appreciation
Decide - Feel - Show
Give thanks with your whole heart.
I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. Psalm 9:1 NIV
When you decide to give thanks, feel gratitude and show appreciation, you are giving thanks with your whole heart.
The rhythm of remembering is the dance of a thankful heart.
You can remember the bitterness and the gall…Yet remember and call this to mind: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning so great is His faithfulness.
Teach your self to remember the truth God reveals to you. Learn how to give thanks with your whole heart. Never forget the power and necessity of testimony.
The rhythm of remembering is to RECALL -
R - Remember the good things God has done
E - Expect God to do it again
C - Challenge the narrative of the enemy
A - Agree to give thanks
L - Lean into gratitude
L - Level up appreciation
The Challenge for the Rhythm of Remembering
Will you remember the good things God has done in history and in others lives and your life? Can you expect, since He’s done it before to do it again? Will you challenge the narrative of the enemy and with Holy Spirit’s help replace the lies you’re believing with the truth He reveals? Will you agree to give thanks always, feel gratitude and show appreciation so give thanks with your whole heart?
Be free from the pain of your past.
Can I pray for you?
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