Remember (by Cathe Laurie)

“And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel” (Judges 2:10 ESV).

Happy November, friends! The month of Thanksgiving is upon us, and whether you’ll be prepping to host or visit family and friends or will be spending a quiet month just you and the Lord, I hope you carve out some time to reflect on all that God’s done. After all, His blessings aren’t meant to only be remembered one day a year.

A Standout Verse

Recently, as I was studying through the book of Judges with the Virtue Women’s study, I picked up on a verse that gave me chills:

“And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel” (Judges 2:10 ESV).  

Now, let’s clarify: What does it mean that they “did not know” the Lord? Did they literally know nothing about God? Of course not.

They knew the stories. They knew about Egypt. They knew about the Red Sea. They’d heard of the parting of the Jordan River and the fall of the walls of Jericho. They had heard those stories their whole lives!

But they only knew God as information, not intimacy.

In What Way Do You ‘Know’ God?

The Hebrew word used in this verse is yada, a word that can describe intimate, experiential knowledge. It’s like the difference between knowing your husband and knowing that a red light means stop. Both are knowledge, but they’re not the same kind of knowledge.

Israel had some spiritual information, but the reality of God was no longer fresh in their hearts. And that’s dangerous, because what we forget about God eventually stops shaping the way we live.

Remember Who God Is

Perhaps your family doesn’t know God, or perhaps even you’ve lost that intimate sense of knowing who He is. Maybe your heart’s been hardened and you believe that He does miracles but you’ve stopped believing He’ll do miracles for you. Maybe you’ve seen Him move, but as the years have passed, the impact of those moments has faded and it no longer feels personal.

Take this month as an opportunity to remember what He’s done—to really remember.

God reminds the Israelites in Judges 2:1: “I brought you up from Egypt and brought you into the land that I swore to give to your fathers” (ESV).

God is trying to refresh their memory. He’s saying, “Remember. Remember what I’ve done. Remember who I am. Remember that I kept My word. Remember Egypt. Remember that I brought you here.”

And maybe God is saying the same thing to you: “Remember. Remember the prayer I answered. Remember the door I opened. Remember the provision you couldn’t explain. Remember when you were afraid and I met you there. Remember when you thought you couldn’t survive and somehow you did.”

My Encouragement to You

I’ll echo God’s words and encourage you: Remember. Recount your story and remember all that God has done for you. Tell it to yourself; tell it to your loved ones. Make sure no generation forgets!

Remember the yada—that intimate knowing—of God’s faithfulness. Remember how it felt when He came through. Remember His goodness and His loving heart for you! He did it before, and He’ll do it again.

Thank You, Lord, for all You’ve done and all You will continue to do! Help us to always remember and stay in intimate closeness with You, to trust that You have us covered, no matter what. We are so grateful for this month and this reminder to reflect on who You are.

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Cathe Laurie is the founder and director of the Virtue women’s ministry. She is also a featured speaker on The Virtue Podcast, at Harvest events, and the author of As I See It. You can find her weekly articles here on harvest.org.