A few nights ago I was laying my daughters down to bed in their room. As we do each night, I read a story. This night I grabbed one of Raylea's school books titled, "Growing Up Where Jesus Lived."
I opened it up to a random chapter called, "What Would You Wear?"
One little paragraph caught my eye. It told of how God's people would have fringes at each of the four corners of their garment. (Also referred to as a mantle or cloak.) There would be one blue thread in each fringe. The blue thread was to remind him of the Law of God.
I looked it up in the bible to see exactly what they were talking about, and it intrigued me even more!
Numbers 15:37-41
And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying
Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue: And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the Lord, and do them ; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring:
That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God.
I am the Lord your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the Lord your God.
Blue thread reminded Israel to whom they belonged! They were God's people!
Such a simple reminder can work as an effective preventive remedy for sin!
The devil wants you to be so busy polishing the outward appearance of your life that you completely neglect the internal war going on.
The devil wants you to be so caught up in building a congregation, that you forget to build the Kingdom.
He wants you to "seek after your own heart," instead of remembering that you are a child of God, and not a child of the sin you're contemplating.
Remind me, Lord, that my days are numbered.
Have you ever thought about that? The day you were born, a clock began ticking backwards to the moment you draw your final breath.
I am beyond grateful for something.
That red blood took the place of the blue thread.
Tears come to my eyes just thinking about that.
Jesus' precious pure blood was sacrificed and because He died and rose again and now lives, AND because I am born again, I received the Holy Spirit to reign in my life and remind me....
...that He brought me out of the land of Egypt.
Remind me that when others let me down, He never will.
Remind me when it looks impossible, that You'll part the waters.
Remind me that when I am sick, I can be healed by the Great Physician.
Remind me that a Christian can't hold a grudge and stay in right standing with a Holy God.
Remind me that even if others hurt me to the core, He will heal my broken heart and bind up my wounds.
Remind me when they leave and never explain why, that He will never leave me or forsake me.
Remind me when I am tempted to sin, that God will not allow me to be tempted above which I am able and He will make a way to escape, that I will be able to bear it.
Remind me when I am humiliated, that You, Father, were betrayed and humiliated to the highest degree and that You said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."
Remind me when the waters are rising over my head, that the voice of the Lord is upon the waters!
Remind me when I feel ugly, that God saw every thing that He had made, and it was very good.
Remind me when life suddenly makes zero sense, that all things work together for good to them that love God and who are called according to His purpose.
Remind me when things look impossible, that with God, all things are possible!
Remind me when I'm in the heat of the battle, that You were with those three Hebrew boys and you'll be with me, too. I can walk out unharmed with chains broken and enemies defeated!
Remind me when the pain is too much, that You will wipe away the tears from my eyes.
Remind me when I walk through yet another fiery trial, that this is no strange thing happening to me!
Remind me when I am weak, You are strong!
Remind me when others speak ill of me, that You have thoughts of peace about me.
Remind me when someone is afflicted, to pray.
Remind me when someone is merry, to sing with a joyful heart.
Remind me when I think I am better than someone else, that You resist the proud.
Remind me when Satan is throwing the fiery darts, that no weapon that is formed against me will prosper.
Remind me when I think I can make it on my own, that You are the only true strength and stay I have.
Remind me when I'm not included in the masses of the Christian or worldly realm... that you had Jonathan for David. Elijah for Elisha. Paul for Timothy. Ruth for Naomi.
Mark for Paul. Aaron for Moses.
(Often times, we grasp seasonal friendships too close and we choke what God intended to free. God never called you to be every single person's best friend, either. That's a tough lesson I had to learn a few times in recent years. But, when you give this part of your heart to the Lord, you will rely on God's approval rather than a person's and you'll be so grateful for your Shadrach and Meshach.)
Oh, Remind us Lord. Just how Holy You are. Remind us to forgive.
Remind us to look to You for fulfilment and peace.
Remind us we must decrease for You to increase.
Remind us that You are our audience of One.
Remind us.
