Remembering builds faith

Recently I came across a TV show on my streaming video service that I watched in the summer afternoons at my grandparents' home when I was 8, maybe 9 years old. As soon as the opening sequence began, I was transported back to the floor. The glow from the square screen broke up the heat of the day. Instantly I could smell their basement, taste the air, feel what it felt to be at their farm. Amazing what a little piece of nostalgia can purchase.

One line in Psalm 78, verse 35 reads, "And they remembered that God was their rock/ And the most high their Redeemer." The memory of this Psalm pulls the people out of where they were and presses them forward to who they could be. That is what history does. When you remember where you've come from, where you've been, you can then be pressed into an uncertain future.

Remembering pieces of your own history is one thing. But discovering major historical events and people can give a sense of being grounded in an ever-turbulent world. When we look back and remember men and women of the past who lived extraordinary lives, we in turn are propelled forward in our own ordinary lives. Looking to leaders of the past grows actions and attitudes in our own leadership today. Examining the choices others in history have made helps us to learn from their experiences and make our own choices.

Robert Frost, in his poem "The Road Not Taken," stands at a crossroads in a "yellow wood," grieved that he cannot take both. He must choose one -- without fear, without regret.

The people of Psalm 78 were looking at their two roads trying to determine the one they should take. Their decision did not rely on their own experiences, but in faith remembered of a God who kept his promises. Remembering that helps to figure out where we are, and helps us as we look to where we are going.

Remembering propels you forward. Knowing historical facts may help you to win on "Jeopardy," but remembering is more than a party favor. Remembering where you've been not only helps you see where you are, but presses you to where you'd like to go. Remembering fuels faith in God.

"The world's never been this bad before and it's getting worse," some say. Those who know history, those who remember, know better.