The emotional despair of rejection and loneliness can have us looking for love in all the wrong places, much like the oblivious heroine so often portrayed in movies. I watch in silent frustration as she strives to earn the love of some unworthy guy. As the trope goes, she is overlooking true love—the faithful affection of her friend who has loved her from the beginning.

There’s something inside me that wants to believe I’d never be so insensitive to the One pursuing me, but I know better. The discipline of recognizing and abiding in God’s love is a habit I struggle to practice every day. His unmerited favor and compassion is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Yet without a focused effort to remember his love, I find myself uncomfortably forgetful of his unrivaled affection for me. 

This is why God commands us to remember our relationship with him. Speaking through the prophet Moses, he warns: “Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children's children” (Deut. 4:9). 

Remembering the story of God’s love for his people and for us personally is a practice that preserves our spiritual lives. It secures the memories of miracles he’s performed for us, storing them like treasures in our hearts. But with hearts prone to wander, we need practical ways to help us recognize God’s better love in the midst of a world that competes for our love and attention. Take time today to use some of the suggested exercises below to further reflect on God’s steadfast love for you.

1. Remember God’s Faithfulness

Gather your prayer and devotional journals and read through your past entries. As you revisit past notes and conversations with God, make a note of:

• Answered prayers and those you still anticipate
• Mindset shifts you’ve made and new perspectives God has given you
• Areas where God has strengthened your faith  

The intangible petitions we make to God are like a sweet fragrance and a memorial before him (see Acts 10:4; Ps. 141:2; Rev. 5:8). Let this motivate you to search your memory diligently and remind yourself of the moments God revealed that he hears your prayers and has always been with you.

2. Remember God’s Good Work

Pull out your old photo albums or scroll through the images on your cell phone. As you look at them, remember your history with God. When you see a photo of… 

• Yourself: Consider where you were in your relationship with God at that time. What work has God done in you since then? 
• Your loved ones: Recall how God kept you in the highs and lows of your relationships with them. Thank him for how your relationships with people have taught you to pursue greater intimacy with him.
• A milestone or celebration: Thank God for being with you and for you.

Photos are the memory’s low-hanging fruit, instantly taking us back to a single moment in our lives. When you see photos of your past, remember that God’s strength and power have and continue to establish you (see Ps. 37:23).

3. Remember Past Circumstances

Take a trip down memory lane with a visit to a previous or current home. Whether you do this in person or mentally, go through each room of the home. As you recall what life was like for you in this place, reflect on these questions: 

• In what ways has God used your experiences (both good and bad) in this home to grow your faith and reveal himself to you?
• What changes did you experience in this home?
• How do those past experiences with God presently inform your relationship with him?

When we look back at our past circumstances, we see how God has worked to change our lives and can trust him moving forward, knowing that his goodness and mercy will follow us wherever we may go.

4. Remember Your Work History

Pull out your latest resume or take a moment to record your employment history. Consider the challenges you faced, the knowledge you gained, and the teams you were a part of. Reflect on these questions:

• How does your first job compare to your current one?
• What challenge in your work life made you rely on God’s strength?
• How is God working in you through your work right now? 

When we reminisce on the miraculous ways God has supplied our needs, we see God’s perfect record in providing for us. 

Tell of His Faithfulness

After remembering God’s faithfulness, take the next step and make the story of God’s faithfulness in your life known. Deuteronomy 4:9 instructs us to tell our children and our children’s children. In retelling how God has demonstrated his love in our lives, we not only strengthen our memory but invite those around us into our experience of belonging and our secure identity as God’s beloved. We may feel pressured to rush through life, to neglect all that we’ve seen, heard, and experienced with God. But his Word reminds us that there is no greater love worth remembering.