"The day of observance will be like a sign on your hand, a memorial between your eyes, and the teaching of God in your mouth. It was with a powerful hand that God brought you out of Egypt. Follow these instructions at the set time, year after year after year." Exodus 13:9-10 (TM)

I’m a forgetful person. You can ask my wife. Rare is the day that I leave the house for a client meeting and don’t return a minute or two later to fetch something I forgot. I don’t do well without lists and reminders.

God knows that we, as humans, are forgetful. That’s why he instituted metaphorical reminders. The Passover meal was an annual reminder of what God did in delivering Israel from Pharaoh. The Lord’s Supper is a regular reminder of what Jesus did in delivering us from sin.

I’ve learned that this is an effective practice as a child and as a parent. Instituting small, regular metaphorical reminders that give ourselves a word picture of a spiritual truth is an effective practice. One family I know would have a family devotion every Saturday night in preparation for Sunday worship. They had a large lighting fixture above their dining room table like a candelabra. Each Saturday the children could explode "party poppers" that would then get caught in the fixture, the streamers hanging down like a huge flower. All week long the children would see that light and remember that Sunday was a day of celebration – a day to which they should look forward.

We need reminders lest we forget what God has done.