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Sailors once tattooed the words HOLD FAST across their knuckles as a reminder to remain steadfast in stormy seas.
Looking down at those ink-marked knuckles reminded them to shake off fear and fatigue—to get a grip when the tempest roared. We all need that reminder sometimes.
Spiritual amnesia is one of the most persistent themes in human history, which is why remembrance is a recurring theme throughout scripture.
In the Old Testament, physical altars were built to mark pivotal moments of deliverance.
Noah built the first the moment he stepped onto dry ground (Genesis 8:20).
Others marked God’s presence in victory—like Moses’ altar at Rephidim, which declared Jehovah Nissi (”The Lord is my Banner”) (Exodus 17:15), or Samuel’s Ebenezer stone, raised to declare, “Till now the Lord has helped us” (1 Samuel 7:12).
These memorials were meant to ensure future generations never forgot. God told Joshua to place twelve stones where he led Israel over the Jordan as a lasting reminder of the crossing:
“When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.”
— Joshua 4:6–7
God also instituted annual feasts—Passover, Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles—to rhythmically remind Israel of the Exodus, the giving of the Law, and their wilderness wanderings.
It was during Passover that Jesus instituted the final and ultimate ordinance of remembrance:
“And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’” — Luke 22:19
He followed with wine to remember His soon-to-be shed blood.
When Luke documented this moment, he used a rare and profound Greek word for remembrance: anamnēsis. The root word is instantly recognizable—it is the direct opposite of amnesia, the loss of memory.
Aside from the Last Supper accounts in Luke and 1 Corinthians, this specific word appears only one other time in the New Testament, in Hebrews 10:3–4, comparing the old covenant system of sacrifice with the new covenant of Christ:
“But in those sacrifices there is a reminder [anamnēsis] of sins every year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.”
The author of Hebrews was writing to persecuted Christians tempted to retreat.
They needed to be reminded to hold fast—to get a grip.
The old sacrificial system was a reminder of sin—a repetitive cycle that could point to sin, but never take it away. Communion points us instead to the finished work of Christ, whose sacrifice does what the blood of bulls and goats never could.
In contrast, communion is a reminder of the only thing that permanently covers and washes away sin.
While this is the ultimate ordinance of remembrance within the church, we still need everyday “stones of help” to tether our wandering hearts.
How do you hold fast when the fog rolls in?
Recently, my family purchased bracelets inspired by David, the animated film from Angel Studios. The strands of tekhelet blue, green, and white echo the ancient biblical threads of remembrance, representing God’s voice, the tribe of Judah, and His ultimate mercy.
Above all, it serves as a tangible reminder of the Great Weaver who knits the tangled strands of life into a beautiful tapestry—the God who graciously gave me a beautiful wife and a rambunctious son, and who gave His only begotten Son as the final sacrifice for our sins.
I look at this band on my wrist every day. When the unexpected storms of life threaten to stir my spiritual amnesia, it serves as a visual anamnēsis of my Savior who controls the winds and waves.
I look down at it and tell myself — get a grip. God is in control.
I may not have the words tattooed on my knuckles, but it’s a great reminder to HOLD FAST.
What reminders do you have in your life of God’s grace?
Join in the conversation in the comments.
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