Ancient and Modern Reminders

"So you shall remember and do all my commands..." Numbers 15:38

Ancient and Modern Reminders
By Rev. William Dohle

Ask my wife and she will tell you I am terrible at remembering things.

Someone can tell me a date, a time, an event and if I don't rush out and write it down I will forget it. I write it down multiple places too. I have a traditional calendar(complete with pictures of my family so I remember why I AM so busy). Then I have my calendar on my phone. Just recently I found an app called "Wanderlist" that helps me list out everything I have to do throughout the week.

If I don't have it written in any of these places, I will forget. Guaranteed. Maybe you have a better memory than I do, but I need reminders.

Even as I sit here tonight writing this, my youngest son is reminding me to pay attention to him. With his book in his hand, he is calling me to read to him, to pay attention to him. He's pulling my face to the book to look at him and demanding I take seriously my calling as a father.

I am grateful that God in his mercy has understood that we need reminders too. We are a very distractable, forgetful people. One of the most used words in all of scripture is the simple word: "Remember." God says it. Christ says it. Paul says it. Everyone knows we need help remembering.

One of the first physical reminders for us is given in the book of Numbers. Here we Gentiles can understand why Jews have blue cord on the frindges of their prayer cloak. Here's what is written...

The Lord said to Moses: Speak to the Israelites, and tell them to make fringes on the corners of their garments throughout their generations and to put a blue cord on the fringe at each corner. You have the fringe so that, when you see it, you will remember all the commandments of the Lord and do them, and not follow the lust of your own heart and your own eyes. So you shall remember and do all my commandments, and you shall be holy to your God.  I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the Lord your God. (Numbers 15:37-41)

God instructs that blue cord be sewn into the prayer shawl to remind the people. But there is more. When you see it you WILL remember and DO THEM. The reminder actually aids in the action. God does not remind us once and then expect us to remember. God reminds us and then helps us obey so that we "shall be holy to the Lord your God."

What an awesome God we have! He understands that we are a forgetful people! Left to our own devices, we would fail and fall and forget. When left on our own, we quickly follow the lust of our own hearts and our own eyes. We care more about us and our family than we care about the rest of the world. But God gives us reminders of his love that help us, so that, through His Spirit, we may become holy.

Communion is done in rememberance of Christ. We wash one another's feet to remember our Teacher's words. And God has surrounded us with other reminders too. Creation itself. Signs of his love all around us.

So...what reminders have you seen? How have those reminders helped you follow his way and his commands? How have they turned you from the lust of your own heart and eyes to God?

Surround us with reminders, O God. Whether it be in the body and blood of your Son or in the people we have surrounded ourselves with, bring us to obedience, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.