I’ve Got Some Buttons in My Pocket

“And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.” ~Deuteronomy 8:2

There is an unverified story that the Puritan Thomas Shepard (1605–1649) had a helpful memory device he used when traveling. Since it’s difficult to jot down your thoughts while riding a horse, Shepard would take a button out of his jacket pocket and speak the thought to that button. He would then place it in the opposite pocket. When he arrived at home or his place of lodging, he would then listen as the buttons reminded him of the specific thoughts he wanted to jot down. What a clever method for remembering important facts, thoughts, or ideas.

The Bible commends a different memory tool called an Ebenezer, as in “Here I raise my Ebenezer,” from the hymn “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” An Ebenezer is a “stone of help” (1 Samuel 7:12) — that is, it’s a rock or pile of rocks used to help a future generation remember a significant event. There are countless occasions where something like this is done in Scripture (although the word Ebenezer may not be used). For example, in Joshua 4 the Lord had Israel take twelve stones from the Jordan River and set them up as a memorial to what God had done for them in stopping up the waters. This served as a visual reminder of God’s covenant faithfulness toward Israel.

Whether you use buttons in your pocket or stones in your yard, as Christians we are commanded to remember what God has done for us. Deuteronomy 8:2 says to remember how God has led His people. Ephesians 2:11-22 tells us to remember that we were once alienated from God, but He has brought us near to Himself by the blood of Christ. In 2 Timothy 2:8 Paul exhorts us to remember Jesus’ resurrection. In Jude 17 we’re encouraged to remember what the apostles predicted about how wicked the world would be in the last days. Finally, Jesus tells the church to remember her first love and remember the gospel (Revelation 2:5; 3:3). As we can see, remembering is a key aspect of the Christian life.

What is it you need to remember today? Do you need to remember God will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5)? Do you need to remember there is no condemnation for those in Christ (Romans 8:1)? Do you need to remember trials are for the strengthening of our faith (James 1:2-3)? Or do you need to remember all the fond memories of yesteryear — perhaps especially in the old sanctuary of Christ Covenant Church, which now sits as a pile of rubble adjacent to our Fellowship Hall? I walked through the space this week and remembered all the weddings, funerals, sermons, baptisms, sounds of children laughing, sounds of voices singing, ordinations, and installations over the years. It’s good to remember the things God has done so we don’t forget who He is. Maybe get a few buttons this morning — put them in your pocket — and tell them some of the great things you want to remember today.

Rev. Kyle Lockhart, Pastor of Teaching & Spiritual Formation