‘R E M E M B E R”
The word REMEMBER is used 148 times in the King James Version of the Bible. For example, Exodus 20:8 commands, “REMEMBER the Sabbath day, to keep it holy”; Numbers 15:39 dictates, “REMEMBER all the commandments of the Lord, and do them”; Deuteronomy 8:2 dictates, “REMEMBER all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness”; and Ecclesiastes 12:1 dictates, “REMEMBER now thy Creator in the days of thy youth.” For further study, you can explore the word REMEMBER in other Bible verses.
God uses the word "REMEMBER" to call our attention to the things He wants us not to forget. In the verses mentioned above, He brings to mind an awareness that we are to keep the Sabbath day holy, that we must obey all His commands, that we do not need to fear future challenges if we remember how He has led us in the past. We also are to "REMEMBER" to acknowledge God as the Creator of everything in the universe and as the owner of all things we possess.
Why did God want us to REMEMBER? Because as fallen human beings, we tend to forget. Many times people fail to keep the Sabbath holy, fail to obey all His commands, and fail to totally trust God to provide a way through our problems and challenges when there appears to be no way.
As leaders who undertake the stewardship matters of the church, we should remember Ellen White’s admonition in Counsels for the Church, page 154: “When you are tempted to spend money for knickknacks, you should REMEMBER the self-denial and self-sacrifice that Christ endured to save fallen man.”
REMEMBER to be a good steward!
By Hiskia Missah
