There are seasons in life where the landscape looks entirely barren. The prayers that once flew easily from your lips feel heavy, and the vibrant certainty you once held is replaced by a quiet, persistent ache of doubt. When you are standing in the middle of a valley, it is natural to look around and wonder if God has forgotten you, or if the foundation you built your life upon is fracturing.
But faith is rarely rebuilt by looking forward into an unknown and frightening future. More often than not, the scaffolding of a broken faith is reconstructed by looking backward.
Hebrews 11:1 ESV Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
The Hazard of Spiritual Amnesia
Human beings are prone to a specific type of forgetfulness: spiritual amnesia. When a crisis hits, our immediate circumstances balloon in size until they block out the horizon of everything that came before. We see the immediate bill, the fresh diagnosis, or the strained relationship, and we inadvertently minimize the lifetime of provisions that preceded it.
We see this pattern clearly throughout history. In the Old Testament, the Israelites witnessed staggering, jaw-dropping miracles—the parting of the Red Sea, bread raining from heaven , water striking from a rock. Yet, the moment they faced a new shortage or a fresh threat, their immediate response was panic and complaint.
Exodus 14:21-22 ESV [21] Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. [22] And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. (emphasis mine)
Exodus 16:4 ESV Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. (emphasis mine)
Exodus 17:6 ESV [6] Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel.
They forgot.
Psalm 106:13-14, 21-22 ESV [13] But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel. [14] But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness, and put God to the test in the desert;
[21] They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt, [22] wondrous works in the land of Ham, and awesome deeds by the Red Sea. (emphasis mine)
Before we judge them too harshly, we must look in the mirror. How quickly do we forget the unexpected provision that arrived just in time last year when we face a financial hurdle today? How quickly do we forget the peace that surpassed understanding during a past grief when a new anxiety knocks on our door?
The Practice of Holy Remembrance
Remembering is not a passive, sentimental activity; it is an active spiritual discipline. In Hebrew scripture, the word Zakar (to remember) implies an action that leads to a renewal of commitment or a change in behavior. To remember God’s faithfulness is to actively call to mind His character and His deeds, allowing them to re-anchor your soul in the present moment.
When the biblical leader Joshua led the Israelites across the Jordan River on dry ground, he didn't just celebrate and move on. He commanded twelve men to take twelve stones from the middle of the riverbed and pile them up on the shore.
Joshua 4:5-7 ESV [5] And Joshua said to them, “Pass on before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, [6] that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ [7] then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.” (emphasis mine)
Why? As a permanent memorial.
We need visual markers and deliberate reminders of where God has shown up for us.
How to Practice Remembrance to Rebuild Faith
If your faith feels fragile today, do not try to force a feeling of certainty. Instead, begin an
intentional inventory of God's past track record. Here is how you can start:
1. Audit Your Own History: Sit down with a blank piece of paper and write out your spiritual timeline. Note the dark seasons you survived, the unexpected open doors, the comfort you felt when you were brokenhearted, and the prayers that were answered (even the ones answered with a protective "no").
2. Borrow the Faith of Others: When your own memory feels dry, tap into the reservoir of others. Read testimonies, listen to how God worked in the lives of generations past, or ask a friend in faith to share a story of how God came through for them.
3. Immerse Yourself in Scripture: The Bible is essentially an archive of God keeping His promises to flawed, forgetful people. When you read scripture, look specifically for His track record. He is the God who delivers, sustains, redeems, and stays true to His word.
Stay Securely Rooted in His Character
Your faith does not depend on the strength of your own grip; it depends on the absolute reliability of the One holding onto you. Emotions fluctuate, circumstances shift like sand, and our human strength will inevitably fail us.
When you intentionally remember who God has always been, the looming giants of your current guided you through yesterday's storm is already standing in tomorrow's uncertainty. He cannot fail, He cannot lie, and He does not change. Look back at all the instances of His faithfulness, and let your heart rest secure in the knowledge that He will do it again.
Numbers 23:19 ESV God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?
But faith is rarely rebuilt by looking forward into an unknown and frightening future. More often than not, the scaffolding of a broken faith is reconstructed by looking backward.
Hebrews 11:1 ESV Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
The Hazard of Spiritual Amnesia
Human beings are prone to a specific type of forgetfulness: spiritual amnesia. When a crisis hits, our immediate circumstances balloon in size until they block out the horizon of everything that came before. We see the immediate bill, the fresh diagnosis, or the strained relationship, and we inadvertently minimize the lifetime of provisions that preceded it.
We see this pattern clearly throughout history. In the Old Testament, the Israelites witnessed staggering, jaw-dropping miracles—the parting of the Red Sea, bread raining from heaven , water striking from a rock. Yet, the moment they faced a new shortage or a fresh threat, their immediate response was panic and complaint.
Exodus 14:21-22 ESV [21] Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. [22] And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. (emphasis mine)
Exodus 16:4 ESV Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. (emphasis mine)
Exodus 17:6 ESV [6] Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel.
They forgot.
Psalm 106:13-14, 21-22 ESV [13] But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel. [14] But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness, and put God to the test in the desert;
[21] They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt, [22] wondrous works in the land of Ham, and awesome deeds by the Red Sea. (emphasis mine)
Before we judge them too harshly, we must look in the mirror. How quickly do we forget the unexpected provision that arrived just in time last year when we face a financial hurdle today? How quickly do we forget the peace that surpassed understanding during a past grief when a new anxiety knocks on our door?
The Practice of Holy Remembrance
Remembering is not a passive, sentimental activity; it is an active spiritual discipline. In Hebrew scripture, the word Zakar (to remember) implies an action that leads to a renewal of commitment or a change in behavior. To remember God’s faithfulness is to actively call to mind His character and His deeds, allowing them to re-anchor your soul in the present moment.
When the biblical leader Joshua led the Israelites across the Jordan River on dry ground, he didn't just celebrate and move on. He commanded twelve men to take twelve stones from the middle of the riverbed and pile them up on the shore.
Joshua 4:5-7 ESV [5] And Joshua said to them, “Pass on before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, [6] that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ [7] then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.” (emphasis mine)
Why? As a permanent memorial.
We need visual markers and deliberate reminders of where God has shown up for us.
How to Practice Remembrance to Rebuild Faith
If your faith feels fragile today, do not try to force a feeling of certainty. Instead, begin an
intentional inventory of God's past track record. Here is how you can start:
1. Audit Your Own History: Sit down with a blank piece of paper and write out your spiritual timeline. Note the dark seasons you survived, the unexpected open doors, the comfort you felt when you were brokenhearted, and the prayers that were answered (even the ones answered with a protective "no").
2. Borrow the Faith of Others: When your own memory feels dry, tap into the reservoir of others. Read testimonies, listen to how God worked in the lives of generations past, or ask a friend in faith to share a story of how God came through for them.
3. Immerse Yourself in Scripture: The Bible is essentially an archive of God keeping His promises to flawed, forgetful people. When you read scripture, look specifically for His track record. He is the God who delivers, sustains, redeems, and stays true to His word.
Stay Securely Rooted in His Character
Your faith does not depend on the strength of your own grip; it depends on the absolute reliability of the One holding onto you. Emotions fluctuate, circumstances shift like sand, and our human strength will inevitably fail us.
When you intentionally remember who God has always been, the looming giants of your current guided you through yesterday's storm is already standing in tomorrow's uncertainty. He cannot fail, He cannot lie, and He does not change. Look back at all the instances of His faithfulness, and let your heart rest secure in the knowledge that He will do it again.
Numbers 23:19 ESV God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?
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