“Therefore, I will always remind you about these things—even though you already know them and are standing firm in the truth you have been taught. And it is only right that I should keep on reminding you as long as I live. For our Lord Jesus Christ has shown me that I must soon leave this earthly life, so I will work hard to make sure you always remember these things after I am gone. For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes when he received honor and glory from God the Father. The voice from the majestic glory of God said to him, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” We ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain. Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts. Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.”

Understanding the text

The concept of remembering is very important in the Bible. God repeats commands many times. He repeats His covenants. He reminds His people of what He has done for them. The same lessons and principles are taught again and again. The reason is simple. We are forgetful. We have short-term memories. These short-term memories apply both to blessings God has given us and negative consequences of sin. We are quick to forget the good God has done in our lives and therefore complain more against Him (See Exodus 34). We are also quick to forget the consequences of sin and therefore keep sinning against God. But God commands us many times in the Bible to not forget. He commands us to remember.

So Peter says “I will never stop reminding you”. Who do you have in your life to never stop reminding you of the truth? We don’t just need this once in a while, but we need people to consistently be reminding us of the truth of God.

Here are three application questions based on the concept of remembering and the importance of being reminded of God's truth:

1. Who in your life regularly reminds you of God’s goodness and the truth of His Word? Consider the importance of having people around you who will continually point you back to God and His promises. If you don’t have someone, how can you seek out those relationships in your faith community?
2. How often do you take time to reflect on what God has done in your life?