Remember What God Has Done

Exodus 13:8–9 (ESV)
“You shall tell your son on that day, ‘It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ And it shall be to you as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the law of the Lord may be in your mouth. For with a strong hand the Lord has brought you out of Egypt.”

Exodus 13 comes right after the Passover and the deliverance of God’s people from Egypt.

After generations of slavery, after the cries of the people, after the plagues, after the blood of the lamb, and after Pharaoh finally tells them to go, Israel is leaving Egypt. This is the moment they had been waiting for. They are no longer simply hoping for deliverance. They are walking in it.

But right away, God tells them to remember.

That is important.

Before they get too far down the road, before they face the Red Sea, before they walk through the wilderness, before they receive the law at Sinai, God establishes rhythms of remembrance. The Feast of Unleavened Bread, the consecration of the firstborn, the telling of the story to their children. God wants His people to remember that they did not bring themselves out of Egypt. He brought them out with a strong hand.

That phrase matters.

“For with a strong hand the Lord has brought you out of Egypt.”

Israel’s freedom was not accidental. It was not because Pharaoh became generous. It was not because Israel finally gained enough strength to overthrow Egypt. It was the Lord who delivered them. His hand was strong. His promise was sure. His mercy was real. His power was greater than Pharaoh’s oppression.

And God knew His people would need to remember that.

Because we are forgetful people.

We can experience the faithfulness of God in one season and then panic in the next. We can watch God provide, protect, deliver, and lead, and then, when a new difficulty rises, we can start wondering if He is still faithful. That is why remembrance is such a big part of faith. Remembering is not just looking backward for nostalgia. Remembering strengthens us for obedience in the present.

God tells them to tell the next generation, “It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.”

That is personal.

Not just what the Lord did in theory. Not just what the Lord did for someone else. Not just what the Lord did a long time ago. What the Lord did for me.

One story I keep telling over and over again is the faithfulness of God in healing my daughter Abby.

That is a story I will never stop telling.

I remember walking through that season and, if I am being honest, I was going through the motions in a lot of ways. I was praying, but I do not know that I was praying with the kind of faith that truly believed God was going to do something. It felt more like routine. It felt more like tradition. It was the thing I knew I was supposed to do, so I did it.

But the church believed.

The church prayed with faith. The church believed that Abby was going to be healed. And God moved in a way that I can only describe as miraculous. There was a medically documented miracle that took place, and it became one of those moments that marked my life forever.

That story reminds me of the faithfulness of God.

It reminds me that even when my faith felt weak, God was still strong. It reminds me that God can work through the prayers of His people. It reminds me that the Lord’s hand is still powerful. It reminds me that there are moments in life where you look back and know, beyond any question, that God was the One who did it.

And that is why we tell the story.

We do not tell stories like that to make much of ourselves. We tell them to make much of God. We tell them so our children know. We tell them so the church remembers. We tell them so the next generation has a testimony to hold onto when they face their own Red Sea, their own wilderness, their own moment where faith feels stretched thin.

Sometimes we underestimate how powerful our testimony can be.

A child needs to hear what God has done. A friend needs to hear how God carried you. A spouse may need to be reminded of God’s faithfulness in your story. A church needs to remember the moments where the Lord made a way when there did not seem to be a way.

And sometimes, we need to preach that testimony back to ourselves.

When fear rises, remember what God has done. When the future feels uncertain, remember what God has done. When the next step feels intimidating, remember what God has done. When the wilderness stretches ahead, remember what God has done.

Exodus 13 also shows us that God’s leadership may not always take the route we expect. The chapter says God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, even though that was near, because He knew they might turn back when they faced war. Instead, He led them by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea.

That is such an important detail.

God’s way was not the shortest way, but it was the right way.

The people may not have understood it at the time. They may have wondered why the route looked longer, slower, or more complicated than expected. But God knew what they were ready for, and He knew what they were not ready for. His direction was not random. His leadership was mercy.

That is still true.

Sometimes God leads us in ways we would not have chosen. Sometimes He takes us on a longer road because He is protecting us from something we cannot see. Sometimes He withholds the shortcut because the shortcut would take us into a battle we are not ready to face. Sometimes the wilderness route is not punishment. It is preparation.

And as He leads them, He gives them the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. God does not just bring them out and leave them to figure it out. He goes before them. He guides them. He stays with them.

That is the beauty of this chapter.

God delivers His people. God tells them to remember. God leads them wisely. God stays present with them.

So today, remember what God has done.

Remember the Egypt He brought you out of. Remember the doors He opened. Remember the prayers He answered. Remember the provision you did not expect. Remember the mercy you did not deserve. Remember the moments where His strong hand was evident in your life.

And then tell the story.

Tell your children. Tell your family. Tell your church. Tell the next generation. Tell your own heart when it starts to forget.

The same God who brings His people out is faithful to guide them forward.

Prayer
Lord, thank You for Your strong hand of deliverance. Help us remember what You have done and tell the story of Your faithfulness to the next generation. Guard us from forgetfulness when life gets difficult. Remind us of the prayers You have answered, the ways You have healed, the moments You have provided, and the seasons where You carried us. Teach us to trust Your leadership, even when the road feels longer than expected. Thank You that You do not only bring us out, but You also go before us and guide us forward. In Jesus’ name, amen.