Memorial Day Message

The first national observance of Memorial Day occurred on May 30, 1868. Then known as Decoration Day, the holiday was proclaimed by Commander in Chief John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic to honor the Union soldiers who had died in the Civil War.[6] This national observance was preceded by many local ones between the end of the Civil War and Logan's declaration. Many cities and people have claimed to be the first to observe it. However, in 2022, the National Cemetery Administration, a division of the Department of Veterans Affairs, credited Mary Ann Williams with originating the "idea of strewing the graves of Civil War soldiers—Union and Confederate" with flowers. Today, Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States for honoring and mourning the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. It is observed on the last Monday of May. From 1868 to 1970, it was observed on May 30.

Websters defines memorial as, serving to preserve remembrance; of or relating to memory; something that keeps remembrance alive.

Psalm 102:11–12 NKJV

11 My days are like a shadow that lengthens, And I wither away like grass. 12 But You, O Lord, shall endure forever, And the remembrance of Your name to all generations.

God’s Name is a Memorial for Us!

The Bible tells us in Psalm 20:3 that some trust in chariots and some trust in horses but we will remember the name of the Lord our God! That is as memorial to our God. We don’t trust the things that are temporal, we trust the God who is eternal. Today a chariot could be our career, our health, our material possessions. But those things will never become a memorial, something that we always remember throughout the generations. No only God is worthy of being remembered always because He is a living God.

Acts 10:1–8 NKJV

1 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, 2 a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always. 3 About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius!” 4 And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, “What is it, lord?” So he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God. 5 Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter. 6 He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do.” 7 And when the angel who spoke to him had departed, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier from among those who waited on him continually. 8 So when he had explained all these things to them, he sent them to Joppa.

Our Prayers are a Memorial Before God!

Whenever we do good the way God tells us to do in His word and when we pray the way God teaches us to pray especially for others, these become a memorial to God. That’s awesome! Think about it, God remembers our God deeds and our prayers that come before Him! A memorial to Him. Think about this, it was the prayers and alms from Cornelius who was not even a Jew but a Gentile and he wasn’t saved yet. How much more do our prayers and alms become a memorial for our God!

Matthew 26:6–13 NIV

6 While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, 7 a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. 8 When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. 9 “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.” 10 Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 11 The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. 12 When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. 13 Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

Giving God Our Best is a Memorial!

There we always be a remembrance for the things we sacrificed for God. Giving our best to Him will always be remembered even after we are long gone.

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 NLT

23 For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread 24 and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.” 26 For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.

Communion is a Memorial!

Every time you and I partake in communion, we are actual doing a memorial to Jesus. We are proclaiming what He did for us on the cross, and that He rose from the dead and is coming back for us. Communion is in actuality Memorial Day for Jesus!