Faith Is Built On Remembering

What does it take to have powerful faith, no matter the circumstances?

Let’s be saints that live with Him and for Him no matter where we go.

What does it take to have powerful faith, no matter the circumstances?

That’s a tough question—and an even tougher one to live out.
This question was put to the test daily during my military career.

In the military, authority flows top-down with no regard to your emotions or convictions. Rank is everything. Promotions often become the prize, and people—faith, integrity, even your soul—can be treated like stepping stones on the way up. Not every leader was like this. I had the privilege of serving under some great ones. But there was a message floating invisibly through the air:

“If you want to move up, leave Jesus behind.”

I didn’t.

I chose to bring Jesus with me.
To church every Sunday during training.
To conversations, even at leadership tables.
And let me tell you—it felt awkward.
Picture a young officer sitting among high-ranking, Ranger-tabbed leaders whose very badges screamed, “I can handle anything life throws at me.” My voice felt small and unimpressive. But I couldn’t help it. There was something within me that yearned to bring the name of Jesus into every conversation.

The Jesus I had come to know wouldn’t stay quiet. He rose in my bloodstream, burned in my chest—and He still does.
And He wants to rise in yours too.

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Psalm 74: The Power of Remembering

Psalm 74 is one of the most intense laments in the entire Bible.
The first 11 verses are filled with sorrow, confusion, and cries for justice. The temple has been destroyed. God’s people are devastated. The psalmist isn’t shy—he pours out the raw ache of watching evil win.

And then the author makes a powerful change.

“But God is my King from long ago; He brings salvation on the earth.” (v. 12)

It’s a shift, not in the circumstances, but in the perspective.
Destruction still surrounds him. God still seems silent. But verse 12 cracks open a holy memory:

“God is my King... from long ago.”

These are the words that stood out to me.

This wasn’t a new believer panicking. This was a worshipper who had walked with God long enough to remember who He was before the pain came.

The psalm goes on to recount miracle after miracle—how God split the sea, crushed monsters, fed His people, and claimed the day and night as His own.
How can someone reflect so vividly on God’s power while standing in the rubble?

The answer is simple, but costly:

He had been walking with God for a long, long time.

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Depth Without Devotion?

Dallas Willard once said:

“The greatest thing you can do in this life is to learn to live in the Kingdom of God now, in such a way that when you get to heaven, it’s not that much of a surprise.”

I want to raise my hand and say “Amen!”
But when I look around, I think a lot of Christians will be surprised—not because heaven isn’t real to them, but because they never really lived in God’s Kingdom now.

The great challenge of our day isn’t just surviving culture or avoiding sin.

It’s walking with God now—so deeply, so consistently—that eternity feels like a continuation, not a shock.

We want the fruit of depth without the root of devotion.

We want:

• The wisdom of the elders

• The steadiness of the saints

• The strength to worship when everything burns down

But we skip:

• The daily time with God when no one sees

• The obedience in suffering

• The discipline of remembering

Another way to say it?

We want Psalm 74 faith without Psalm 1 discipline.
We want the worship of verse 12 without the weeping of verses 1–11.

But real worship comes from walking.
Real trust is forged in trial.

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Even Jesus Didn't Skip the Process

“And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” – Luke 2:52
“He learned obedience through what He suffered.” – Hebrews 5:8

Even Jesus—the sinless Son of God—was formed over time.
He didn’t skip the long, slow grind of growth. He embraced it. His obedience wasn’t instant power—it was patient surrender.

So why do we think we can bypass the process?

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Never Finished Challenge: Remember

If you’ve just begun your walk with Jesus—or if you’ve neglected it—this challenge is for you:

Remember.
Read your Bible. Reflect on the stories of God.
Then reflect again. And again. And again.

Train yourself to remember, to know Him deeply.

One practical way I do this is to date and note in a journal, video, or on my phone the daily miracles of God. When I do this, suddenly, I shift my expectations to His working in my life.

And here’s what will happen:
As you remember His works, you’ll start to recognize His hand.
You’ll see the same Spirit who raised Christ from the dead working inside you.
You’ll begin to carry transforming memories—and witness miracles.

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Jesus doesn’t call us to Sunday-only faith.

He calls us to daily cross-bearing (Luke 9:23).

There’s a stat out there that’s true for everyone:
1 out of 1 dies.
But if we follow Jesus, though outwardly we waste away, inwardly we’re renewed day by day (2 Corinthians 4:16).

So dial down the world, which is slowly destroying you.
And dial up the living water, who alone can satisfy.
Jesus said, “Whoever comes to Me will never hunger. Whoever believes in Me will never thirst.” (John 6:35)

So go to Him. And then go to others, to fellowship and make disciples.

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What Does Today Say About God?

Reading through Psalm 74 was hard. The destruction was heartbreaking.
The mercy God showed to His enemies was even harder to swallow.

But I kept reading. And I remembered.

I don’t serve a mindless, detached God.
I serve a merciful King—one who brings endless hope.
His will will be done. His promises will stand.
And every day, I get to walk into His presence and find my soul filled to the brim.

What a Father.
What a Friend.
What a King.

Thank You, Jesus.

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