Remember This and Stand Firm

August 11, 2026 David Michael

Our team has chosen Isaiah 46:8 as the theme for this ministry year:

"Remember this and stand firm."

The verses that follow explain what it is we are to remember:

"I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose …I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it." (vv. 9-11)

That passage has fueled my heart, passion, and confidence for pursuing this vision for the next generation for many years. But this year, I found myself backing up to verse 8:

"Remember this and stand firm."

As I reflected on that command, four truths from the passage came together in my mind. We are to remember that:

God is God, and there is no other. He alone is God, and there is none like Him.
God has declared the end from the beginning. As we look ahead to this ministry year, God already knows exactly how it will unfold—not only this year, but the end of all history.
God's counsel shall stand. He will accomplish all of His purposes.
God has spoken, and He will bring it to pass. He has purposed it, and He will do it.

Those are the truths we are called to remember, and remembering them enables us to do what Isaiah 46:8 commands us to do—to stand firm.

God's Purposes Will Stand

If God accomplishes all of His purposes, where do we see those purposes revealed for the next generation? One of the clearest places is Psalm 145:4.

"One generation shall commend your works to another and shall declare your mighty acts."

That's our earnest prayer—that one generation would commend God's works to the next and declare His mighty acts. But this passage isn't merely expressing a hope; it's declaring what God will do.

When we pray big, bold, biblical prayers for the next generation, we pray with confidence:

"Lord, would You cause one generation to commend Your works to another? Would You grant that this next generation will declare Your mighty acts?"

We know He's going to do that because He has said He will.

Psalm 145 continues:

"They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds... They shall declare your greatness. They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness." (vv. 6-7)

When we talk about a vision for the next generation, this is the big picture. Our vision is that God would make His glory known to the next generation. Ultimately, everything we do is for His glory. Sometimes we say that another way: we want to make God famous. What we really mean is that we want God's greatness and glory to be known and celebrated.

This lifts our eyes beyond the day-to-day work and reminds us that our ministry is aligned with God's glorious purposes.

A Mission That Cannot Fail

Isaiah 46:8 is especially encouraging in a couple of ways.

First, it gives us confidence in our mission. At Truth78, we define that mission from Psalm 78—to faithfully teach God's Word to the next generation so they will set their hope in Him.

That mission cannot fail. If God has purposed it, He will bring it to pass. His purposes will stand.

We need to remind those who serve in children's and family ministry of that truth because there are times when we feel like failures. Sometimes the work can seem discouraging or unproductive. But ultimately, God's purposes will be accomplished.

We are participating in a ministry that cannot fail because God is accomplishing His mission, and He is pleased to accomplish it through His people.

Teach So They Remember

Second, we engage in this ministry so that the next generation will remember.

"Remember this and stand firm."

We are involved in the discipleship of the next generation, and that means we must teach in a way that children will remember.

Our commitment at Truth78 is not only to provide faithful biblical content, but also to help teachers use effective teaching strategies so they can communicate God's truth in ways children will remember.

Isaiah 46 tells us, "Remember this and stand firm." By remembering who God is, we place beneath our children a foundation that will keep them from being shaken.

None of us knows what lies ahead for our children. Some may endure unspeakable suffering. Jesus promised, "In the world you will have tribulation." When that trouble comes, we want our children to stand firm.

We don't want them shaking their fists at God, blaming Him, or abandoning the faith. They will stand firm if they remember who God is, who they are in relationship to Him, and what He has promised.

Psalm 78 tells us that God established His testimony and appointed His law, commanding His people to teach these truths to their children so that the next generation would set their hope in God.

That's what we're doing. We're faithfully passing on the testimony God has entrusted to us so that the next generation will put their hope in Him.

Our responsibility is not simply to teach biblical truth, but to teach it in ways that help those truths stay with children. We want them not only to hear God's Word, but to remember it—so that, remembering who God is, they will stand firm.

Years ago, we were teaching our Foundation Verses, and every verse was paired with a picture. The nursery and preschool children couldn't read yet, but they could recognize the images. One day, the teacher was talking about people who were tempted to bow down to Baal. A little preschooler immediately spoke up and said, "They can't bow down to Baal because of that verse," pointing to the picture that represented the command, "You shall have no other gods before me."

That child made the connection because a truth that had been taught months earlier had been taught in a way that was memorable. That's what we want. We want children to remember God's Word when they need it.

Why Remembering Matters

Scripture also shows us the consequences when God's people forget.

Psalm 78:7 tells us that we teach God's works and His Word so that the next generation will "set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments." It warns against becoming like previous generations who forgot God's works and were unfaithful to Him.

The psalm describes the Ephraimites, who "turned back on the day of battle." Why? Because "they forgot his works and the wonders that he had shown them."

Psalm 106:21 repeats the same pattern:

"They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt."

They exchanged the glory of God for an idol because they forgot the God who had rescued them.

Throughout Scripture, the pattern is unmistakable. When God's people forget Him, they drift into unbelief and rebellion. But when they remember who He is and what He has done, they are strengthened to trust Him and obey Him.

That's why remembering matters so deeply. We don't teach merely so children will know biblical facts. We teach so that, on the day of testing, they will remember who God is, trust Him, and stand firm.