Remembering is Intimacy with God

A Petition to Remember

Sometime ago, I read Tyler Staton's book Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools. A quote from his book that has stayed with me is, “In the Bible, we are told to remember more than we are to obey.” That captured my heart and piqued my interest. What exactly is God trying to teach us through remembering?

The sentiment that Tyler shared is true. The word “remember” appears in the Bible 550 times between humanity and God, while “obey” appears 165 times. Even within the 10 commandments, Moses writes, “Remember, the Sabbath to keep it Holy.” What is the significance of the repetition of remembering, even in a foundational aspect of the Bible, such as the commandments?

First, let’s look at the brain to see how God created us in relation to remembering.

Remembering and the Brain

The hippocampus is the part of the brain that helps us store memories and learn. The hippocampus is embedded deep inside the innermost part of our brain; everything functions around it. The NIH (National Institute of Health) states, “the hippocampus is a site for decision-making and committing information to memory for future safety uses. Thus, it has a mechanism to convert short-term memory into long-term memory, consolidating verbal and symbolic thinking into information that can be accessed when needed for decision-making”.

The sum of the functions in Celina's terms is “the hippocampus remembers to keep you safe.” How kind of God to create us in alignment with what he asks of us.

When working with clients and trauma, the majority of the work is through the repetition of healthy processing, coping, and cognitive restructuring. The hope is that through repetition, the healthier neural networks start to override the unhealthy ones. All of our neural networks store information for better or for worse. The worst is what tends to stick the most because of how stressed the body is and all of the built-up cortisol associated with the memory.

In due time and repetition, we gain the information to handle stressful situations correctly and healthily, and it is only through consistently remembering that we opt into the corrective approaches.

God created us to remember. The things around us that encourage our forgetfulness are what impact our memory and ability to remember.

God remembers you- yes, you.

Do not think that God himself does not utilize remembering. Remember, you are made in his image. Taking a look at the Old Testament, God is remembering ALOT. My guess is that because similar to our lives - so much was going on (sin and goodness), and He had to remember His creation, made in is image and the plan for redemption that was soon to come. Look at how he remembers at some pivotal parts of scripture.

God remembered Noah, as well as all the wildlife and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. God caused a wind to pass over the earth, and the water began to subside. (Genesis 8:1)

So it was, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham and brought Lot out of the middle of the upheaval when he demolished the cities where Lot had lived. (Genesis 19:29)

Then God remembered Rachel. He listened to her and opened her womb.

(Genesis 30:22)

God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. (Exodus 2:24)

Just as He remembered all of those named in the Bible, He too remembers you. Unlike us, God does not get overwhelmed with information to remember His promises to us.

Remembering and Intimacy

If you have taken communion, there is usually this familiar scripture attached to it.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

²³ For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, ²⁴ and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁵ In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” ²⁶ For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Communion is the sharing or exchanging of intimate thoughts and feelings. The physical act of taking communion is remembering. Both Jesus and humanity.

God remembering humanity is what created and kept intimacy with us. A relationship without intimacy is just a connection without closeness. We have all had a relative of some sort say to us, “You don’t remember me? I used to change your diapers!” First of all, who remembers that? Second, though there is a connection, there is no closeness built with that relative and, therefore, a lack of remembering.

In scripture, we read the cries of God’s people asking Him to remember them.

Hezekiah: “Please, Lord, remember how I have walked before you faithfully and wholeheartedly and have done what pleases you.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.” (2 Kings 20:3)

Hannah: Making a vow, she pleaded, “Lord of Armies, if you will take notice of your servant’s affliction, remember and not forget me, and give your servant a son, I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and his hair will never be cut.” (1 Samuel 1:11)

Nehemiah: “Remember me favorably, my God, for all that I have done for this people” (Nehemiah 5:19)

David: Remember, Lord, your compassion and your faithful love, for they have existed from antiquity. (Psalm 25:6)

Remembering is not a suggestion but rather a commandment. To remember is to cultivate intimacy. Thus, all of God’s commandments are to cultivate intimacy with us. Think of how you want to be close to your Father and how He desires to be close to you.

This is an appeal to remember.

Remember through the heartache, disappointment, great suffering, great joy, and great accomplishments. His word is worth remembering and will keep you safe.