“They forgot God’s deeds as well as the wondrous works he showed them… God split the sea and led them through, making the waters stand up like a wall…” (Psalm 78:11-13, CEB)

We forget.  We need something to help us remember the most important things.

In Psalm 78 and the other 149 psalms found in the Bible, a consistent drumbeat is the need for God’s people to remember.  Throughout the Old Testament… the part of the Bible that comes to us from before the time of Jesus… the call is often to remember what God did to save the ancient Israelites from the Egyptian army at the Red Sea (see Exodus 14). 

In the New Testament… the part of the Bible that comes to use from after the time of Jesus… most often the call is to remember Jesus Christ’s life, words, death, and resurrection.  That’s nowhere more striking than when Jesus establishes the Lord’s Supper.  “After taking the bread and giving thanks, he (Jesus) broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you.  Do this in remembrance of me,’” (Luke 22:19, CEB).

The breathtaking experience of God bringing the people through the Red Sea on dry ground (think Charlton Heston and The Ten Commandments or DreamWorks’ Prince of Egypt).  The heartbreak-to-joy journey of God saving us through Christ’s crucifixion and empty tomb.  Surely these mighty acts of God are etched into the hearts and minds of God’s people.  Scripture’s repeating call to remember would argue the contrary.

We forget.  We need something to help us remember the most important things.

May this Memorial Day serve its intended purpose of helping us remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice of their life in military service to our country.  And may we be grateful.