I’ve got to admit it: thanksgiving has always felt trite to me. After the childlike wonder in listening to legends of pilgrims and Native Americans wore off, the concept of going around the table and listing off the most obvious things to be thankful for felt deeply unoriginal at best and ingenuine at worst. But sometimes I think that’s because I was looking at it from the wrong angle.
Oftentimes, thankfulness is centered on the present. We think about the things right in front of us, or maybe we reach as far back as the past 12 months. But still, much of our view is upon recent events, memories, or provisions. We list of gratitude for family, friends, and food…all while looking at our lives with a very narrow lens. Though this form of thanksgiving can be helpful, I’ve found that God provided us an even more profound way to give thanks – one that is far too often forgotten. That is remembrance.
Remembering runs deeper than recent memories or sappy platitudes. When God calls his people to remember, He is calling them to look at all He has done in their lives and marvel at His neverending faithfulness through it all. Throughout the Bible, God calls His people to remember His steadfastness. He leads us to remember what a good Father He is. He asks us to take a posture of remembrance not only so that we would remember His character, but also that our trust in Him would grow after observing his track record in our lives.
I found that the reason Thanksgiving felt so ingenuine is because sometimes it’s hard to be thankful for the challenges you’ve faced most recently because they don’t make sense yet. It’s confusing to look at all the hard parts without knowing what His plan is. He doesn’t give us the blueprint upfront, so when the going gets tough, it takes a lot of trust to believe the plan still stands. Without this overarching perspective, we either resort to cliches or frustration. This is why our souls need remembrance – we were created as beings who find meaning in memory.
In the most uncertain moments of my life, I’ve found it easy to forget that God is good and His plan is best. Often it’s felt like He’s either forgotten me, lost track of the plan, or doesn’t care that his plan causes me suffering. It’s only when I remember specific instances throughout my life directly contradicting these lies that I experience a deeper hope and trust.
If you need a little remembrance in your life today, you’re not alone. We’ve all had a rough year filled with plot twists and sharp turns we didn’t see coming. So to help us meditate on this forgotten gratitude practice, here are five thanksgiving verses God’s Word provides about Remembrance.
Remembrance in the Bible
Psalms 77:11, NLT
“But then I recall all you have done, O Lord; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago.”
As we consider His wonderful deeds of our past, we can begin simply by thanking Him for having breath in our lungs. The fact that we are still breathing is a beautiful reality that He is not done with us yet, and there is still more to do, see, and trust Him for. From there, we can remember the manna in our lives, the physical provisions, the encouraging words, or a relationship that may have changed your life. And most importantly, we remember His goodness in saving us from not only ourselves but from the sting of death. This truth is the cornerstone of our Christian faith and should also flow from our actions and words. As we remember Christ, we can dwell on every act He has done for us throughout history and marvel at the love He’s shown. I once heard someone say, “If Christ never does another thing for me, He has already done more than enough.” What a wonderful reality!
John 14:26, ESV
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”
God’s plan didn’t just stop with Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice by dying on the cross. The Lord knew that we would need a Helper throughout the rest of our lives as we walked in our new identities. Not only would the Holy Spirit help us in our actions and deeds as Sons and Daughters, but He would help us to remember the words He has given us in the Bible. The Holy Spirit was provided to help us live according to His will, but He also helps us to remember the goodness and faithfulness of the Lord. If, like me, you’ve struggled to understand God’s plan for your life in the past months, it’s easy to believe the lie that He’s stopped speaking. This isn’t true. The Holy Spirit is always eager to commune with us and remind us of the truth. But in the moments when He feels more silent or we feel more distracted than normal, it is valuable to ask the question: How has He spoken to me in the past? Are there themes in what He’s said to me? Are there lies I have a tendency to believe and how has He spoken truth into these struggles before? When I ask these questions, I often find that He’s not been silent at all, but I might’ve just needed to remember the words He’s already spoken. And when in doubt: ASK HIM! Ask Him to remind you of the ways He has worked in the past and give clarity about the present struggles.
Matthew 26:13, NLT
“I tell you the truth, where the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.”
We all have influence, whether that be in our families, workplaces, or on social media. The way we speak, act, and respond all have an impact on those around us. For example, the woman who anointed Jesus with expensive perfume taught us all something that day. She taught us how to surrender to the most important thing, and because of her love and devotion to Jesus. She will be remembered for generations to come. What will you be remembered for? How are you showing love and devotion to Jesus in your own life? What kingdom legacy are you leaving behind as you point others to heaven?
As we spend time in remembrance of all Christ has done in our lives, it’s important to meditate on all the ways he has shaped us and formed us. Who you are today is because of each experience, challenge, and blessing He’s given you along the way. In fact, He created you with special gifts and talents to use in the world. The things you’re good at and the legacy you leave is due to His creative plan for your life. So if you’re ever feeling stuck or aimless, just ask yourself what gifts or passions He has provided you to use. Remembering His faithfulness even in this can help you move forward with hope and purpose, both dependent on Him and confident in your calling.
Luke 22:19-20, ESV
“And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
Communion is a beautiful ritual within the church. It is a sacrament meant to help us remember and reflect on Christ’s sacrifice. Fully God and fully man, Jesus was an example of what it looks like to feel the weight of the world and rely on the strength of the Father. He came not only to bring a New Covenant, but He saved us from the shackles of death, once and for all. As we remember our own daily struggles and hardships, the Holy Spirit is so gracious to lead us back to the cross.
The act of remembrance should always lead us back to the incarnation, the cross, and the resurrection. Of course we can find encouragement in the stories from Exodus or 2 Kings as well, but the moments that changed history forever were these three instances. Not only did they change the course of humanity, but they intimately influence the small details of your life. Christ’s incarnation shows us how to be human and follow in His footsteps. Christ’s death shows us how to suffer, be obedient to God, and understand the weight of our sin and the joy of our forgiveness. And the resurrection gives us hope, knowing that even death, sin, or sickness cannot overpower us in the end. Not only that, but the very act of communion is a practice where we draw nearer to Jesus and experience intimate relationship with Him. When we spend time in remembrance of these reality shifting events, we can exchange our shame and regret for the confidence that the cross brings as we remember what Jesus did for us.
Hebrews 10:32, NLT
“Think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ. Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering.”
I would like to propose that everything the Lord has helped us to walk through, good times and bad, is cause for remembering His faithfulness. As followers of Christ, we were never promised an easy life without suffering. Yet, it is through these trials that allow us to cling to Jesus and rely on His Spirit to help us through. If you are struggling through a difficult season right now, let me encourage you to reflect on hardships in your past. How have you seen God prove Himself faithful in your life? If you look close enough and remember His faithfulness, I bet that you can see the threads of Christ woven throughout.
Have you felt alone before? He never left you. Have you felt despair? He still offered hope. Did you feel afraid? He did not allow the circumstances to overtake you. Did you feel like you didn’t have what you needed? He provided. Did you feel like nothing good would happen again? His goodness remained. Every time you’ve felt these feelings before, He has been there. So what’s different now? You might not know the end of this chapter, but He’s been faithful in every other chapter of your life, so remember those moments and trust Him in these moments.
Gratitude to Remembrance
God’s Word provides an overabundance of remembrance verses for us to reflect on. One common theme in the book of Psalms especially is how David turns times of worry, anxiety, and depression into worship and remembrance of what the Lord has done. He looks back in order to keep moving forward.
If you are like me, being thankful for the good circumstances and happy moments is easy. But what about when you are walking through the valley of death? How do we remain thankful when our worlds are crumbling to the ground?
We start by remembering His goodness not only in the moment but also during the seasons that were too much to bear. We combat the complications of emotional despair and discontentment with songs of Thanksgiving. We lift our voices and worship the One who can split the Red Sea that we are standing before. We meditate on the gratitude verses in his Word, and we trust that God is who He says He is.
If you’re unsure where to begin on your gratitude journey, I would love to help! I have created a free downloadable Gratitude Toolkit with everything you need to prepare your heart and mind for this Thanksgiving season. If you’re not yet subscribed to my email list, you can do that HERE, and you’ll gain access to this free resource to have support in your own gratitude journey!
