Scripture is filled with many instances of deliberate and permanent reminders of the Lord’s mercy, kindness, compassion, love, and faithfulness.
In Joshua, Twelve stones were left in the Jordan River to be left as a reminder of what the Lord had accomplished that day. A powerful river was brought to a halt so that Israel could cross safely on dry land (Joshua 4:1-8).
The night Jesus was betrayed, He instituted a major institute of the Christian faith called Communion. His call to His disciples and future Christians was to partake in a similar manner but with something specific in mind, “Do this in remembrance of me. (Luke 22:19).”
Peter wrote both of his epistles in an effort to stir Christians into remember, “This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder.”
We need reminders because we are forgetful. This is why we carry notepads and pens, tell Siri to set reminders, and so on. Whether the mundane or the holy, we are forgetful creatures. How then do we as Christians make sure to remember our hope? How can we remain firm on the the amazing attributes and realities of our great Lord and God? We must remain proactive and deliberate in establishing permanent reminders. Reminders that we see consistently and bring us into that state of thankfulness to God. We read the Bible and are reminded, we pray and are reminded, but there is something important in establishing our own “Stones of remembrance.” Allow me to share an extremely personal reminder of the hope my wife and I have in our wonderful Lord.
Last night at around 8:50 P.M., my daughter, Sapphire, entered the world after many long hours of labor. She is our precious gem and her name, along with any other children we would have, had been decided on before we even got married nearly six years ago. Originally, her middle name was going to be something else before November 13th of 2021.
Some of you may recall, but that was the day I entered the hospital, uncertain if I would ever return home again. Wondering if I would see my wife or son or family again. Wondering, uncertain with the adversity thrown my family’s way. But, by the grace of Almighty God, He preserved and saved me. The day after Thanksgiving, I returned home and continue to remain healthy from that ordeal nearly a year ago. My daughter’s middle name, we both decided, would be “Esperanza.” Which means “hope” in Spanish.
Now, we have a permanent reminder of God’s grace, mercy, compassion, love, kindness, and faithfulness. In a sense, she is a precious stone of remembrance. We can look at Sapphire and are immediately brought to praising God for making this moment possible. As our children grow and ask questions concerning names or things like that, we can say, “Look at what the Lord has done.” Even before she was born, the emphasis on God’s love and our hope in Him has been the focus in conversations with others. The Lord is good in the light and in the dark.
If there is one thing to take from this article, one thing you take away from this time: Be deliberate in remembering Jesus Christ for He is our hope.
Theological Digressions 