1 Samuel 4-6 | Luke 9:1-17

“Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.” Revelation 2:5, NKJV

Do we remember who we were before we met Jesus? Do we remember whose we belong to? In the book of Revelation, Jesus commended the church in Ephesus for their hard work and perseverance, but He had one thing against them: “[they] have forsaken the love [they] had at first” (Revelation 2:4). Jesus gave instructions for them—and to us, indirectly—on how to reignite the passion for Him.  

Jesus told the church in Ephesus to “Consider how far you have fallen!” or, as the NKJV translation goes, “Remember therefore from where you have fallen” (Revelation 2:5). The act to remember the height from which they had fallen would have struck a chord in the mind of the Ephesus church. Throughout the Old Testament, there were constant reminders to remember. Deuteronomy 8:2 tells us, “Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commands.” Ecclesiastes 12:1 says, “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, ‘I find no pleasure in them.’” And Psalm 77:11 says, “I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember Your miracles of long ago” (NKJV).

More than obeying, more than serving, more than having the right answer, more than anything else, God says, “Remember.” We are to remember who we are and whose we belong to. Why are we to remember? Not for the point of going back and thinking in a nostalgic way like, “I remember when things used to be good” but remembering reminds us of all the things that we should be grateful for what God had done for us in the past. Additionally, our remembering should inspire in us a trust that God will continually act on our behalf and “works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).

May we take a moment to remember and maybe pull out a pen and paper as we record where God has met us and where He is meeting us. Then, open to God every aspect of our life and yield to Him wherever He wants to take us. As we take the time to write, we may realize that He may be taking us to difficult and hard places that we do not want to go. But do we trust Him as we remember how He worked in our past, is working in our present and will work in our future?

PRAYER

Lord Heavenly Father, thank You for the ways You have met me in the past. I am grateful for Your faithfulness throughout my life. I trust You not only with my present but also with my future. Amen!