by Pastor Daniel Yaw

Introduction
This month of May is a month of remembering.  We remember mothers in May, being Mother’s Day.  We are also celebrating Hokkien Fellowship’s 15th anniversary this year.  Looking at Deuteronomy 8:2, the Bible says, “And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you.”
I was watching a video clip where two people were talking to each other.  One of them could not quite remember the past.  The other said to him, “You have to move on forward.” To that, he replied, “How can I move on if I cannot remember?”.  Therefore, remembering is a good thing.  It helps us to know how to steer our move forward in the right way.  Let us think about the subject of remembering.
 
The Motivation of Remembering
 
When Moses spoke those words, he reminded them of God’s working in their lives and exhorted them to constantly remember.  Remembering becomes the motivation for us to live our lives.  The motivation lies in the way that we look at the past, remember it, because we will see how the Lord has worked and been faithful.  We therefore remember what the Lord has done in our lives.
If God had done it in the past, he could do it again.  Look at the things we have done or accomplished – and because it was successful, we will have the confidence to do it again.  In the same way, we know what God has done in our lives, and thus, it motivates us to move forward with the presence of God.
Many times, our failure to remember causes us to doubt, and we have our struggles with God.  Life was trying in the wilderness for the people of Israel.  Therefore, Moses exhorted them to remember how the Lord had led them through those years of struggle in the wilderness.  It is in remembering, they could continue to trust God.
 
The Momentum of Remembering
 
And then remembering will push us forward.  As mentioned above, it gives us confidence and it makes us move!  I thought of God’s faithfulness in my life, in my family, and all these years of service; he had never failed to provide for all our needs.  I am confident in God as my provider.  Never a day did I experience a lack in my life struggles? Yes, but never lacking.   Will God continue to take care of me and my family?  Surely, He will!  as He had!  So, in the face of uncertainty, in the face of troubles, in the face of sickness, I know that my LORD will lead me “the whole way”.
When we remember the graciousness of our mothers, we have the momentum to carry on life despite its challenges.  When we remember the goodness of God in the Hokkien fellowship, those serving serve with joy.  When we learn to remember the mercies of God, we learn to move forward because God promises to be with us.
 
The Mindset of Remembering
 
The LORD told us to remember “the whole way THE LORD HAS LED YOU”.  The mindset, meaning the right way of remembering, is to remember the ways of God.  Sadly, sometimes in my life, I choose to remember the wrong things – the injustice, the hurt, the betrayal, the disappointments in life.  The result is a stagnation or even a regression in my life.  Then the LORD led me to think that even in those experiences of life, I can see the work of God in me.  That is the mindset.  Let us remember how the Lord has led us the whole way. 
 
Conclusion
 
Remembering does not come automatically.  We take the effort to do so.  Remembering the right things is also always more difficult compared to remembering the wrong things.  Let us then remember the things that will help to propel us forward and not pull us backward.  God bless you all.