OCTOBER 14, 2022
17 “You shall not deprive a resident alien or an orphan of justice; you shall not take a widow’s garment in pledge. 18 Remember that you were a slave in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you from there; therefore I command you to do this.
19 “When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be left for the alien, the orphan, and the widow, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all your undertakings. 20 When you beat your olive trees, do not strip what is left; it shall be for the alien, the orphan, and the widow.
21 “When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, do not glean what is left; it shall be for the alien, the orphan, and the widow. 22 Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I am commanding you to do this.
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Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you from there. Deuteronomy 24:18.
I find it amazing how a random sound, sight or smell can transport me back to a past event or person. Our brains are wired to remember. In our brain, the hippocampus helps with memories of experiences and knowing people’s faces. The cerebellum makes sure we can recall how to do things, like driving a car or playing the piano. The prefrontal cortex is active in remembering little details and solving complex problems. God, our designer, created us to recall and remember. Yet, if you are like me, we forget!
It can be annoying when we forget our car keys, passwords, or pin codes. How about when we cannot remember whether we closed and locked the door or switched off the oven, before you left for an evening. The reality of forgetting has resulted with us coming up with ways to remember. We scribble a message on the white board in our kitchen, or stick a note on the fridge, maybe you write on your hands, create a phone reminder, set an alarm or ask a family member for help to remember. Why? Because it’s important to remember.
It’s important to remember where you work and live, how to get places and how to get back. Remembering birthdays, anniversaries, and special moments to be celebrated.
An important act of Remembering is that we are created in God’s image, along with every other human on earth, reminds us that every person we encounter in our day is inherently valuable, special, loved, forgiven and important.
Remembering that Christ, fully human and fully God, bore our sin, suffered, died and rose to eternal life brings daily and eternal hope through his gift of grace. How do we respond? What are we called to do? I hear Micah the prophet say, Our response is to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God. By grace, we are set free. Set Free to remember. Set Free to serve.
LET US PRAY
Lord of all ages, Lord of my heart, thank you for loving me fully today. Help me to remember that I am set free to love and serve you and others. Give me the heart to notice and value others. Amen.
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