Observe the month of Abib and celebrate the Passover to the Lord your God, for in the month of Abib the Lord your God brought you out of Egypt by night. You shall sacrifice the Passover to the Lord your God from the flock and the herd, in the place where the Lord chooses to establish His name. You shall not eat leavened bread with it; seven days you shall eat with it unleavened bread, the bread of affliction (for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste), so that you may REMEMBER all the days of your life the day when you came out of the land of Egypt. For seven days no leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory, and none of the flesh which you sacrifice on the evening of the first day shall remain overnight until morning. (Deuteronomy 16:1-4, NASB, emphasis mine)
Today is Sue’s and my 44th wedding anniversary. Forty four wonderful years of marriage! I thank God every day for putting this wonderful woman in my life, for putting us together! This is a day to remember. To remember our wedding day; all the wonderful times since we were married; and how we navigated, and God brought us through, the tough times.
It’s also a day to look forward. To count God’s blessings. With my ALS, I often wonder how many more anniversaries I’ll see. On my birthday three years ago, after my diagnosis, for the first time, I wondered if I would still be here for my next birthday. I’ve celebrated two birthdays since. We’re familiar with a neurologist at the Duke University Medical Center, who specializes in ALS. He encourages his patients to make a bucket list. My bucket list list includes celebrating our 50th anniversary. Of course, God may call me home before then in His perfect timing.
God established specific dates for His people to remember. In Deuteronomy 16, Moses is reminding the Israelites about the feasts and festivals that God had established for their observance. In the text above, they’re told when and how to observe the Passover, so as to “REMEMBER all the days of your life the day when you came out of the land of Egypt.” (emphasis mine)
Think of it: The Creator hung billions and billions of stars in the sky. He knows the names of each of them. He also placed the moon in its orbit around the earth. All these celestial miracles were put there, in part, to help measure time. It’s God’s calendar! During their 40 years of wandering, God established with Moses the times of the festivals, based on His calendar. All for the purpose of REMEMBERING God’s infinite blessings and mercies on us!
So, Happy Anniversary Sue! God willing, we will celebrate more. I am in His hands. I REMEMBER God’s blessings in my life. Today, especially, my wonderful wife!
Worship: “Remember,” by Lauren Daigle