The average citizen of Israel, even if they are not at all religious, knows more about the Old Testament book of Esther than most Christians I know. They could, quite easily, tell you all about Esther, Mordecai, Xerxes, and Haman. How is that possible? Because it is in their calendar, and it is not in ours.

About 2,500 years after the events of Esther occurred, many Jewish people mark their calendars based on these words: “The Jews took it on themselves to establish the custom that they and their descendants and all who join them should without fail observe these two days every year, in the way prescribed and at the time appointed” (Esther 9:27). And that’s exactly what most Jews do. Sometime in late February or March, they celebrate a holiday called Purim, where they read the entire book of Esther and celebrate their survival as a people.

Here’s a powerful truth for your spiritual life—the calendar helps us remember. Since most of us don’t have photographic memories, we are wise to leverage the power of our calendars. Those reminders—whether it’s writing “church” every Sunday in our calendars or setting a morning alarm that reads, “read your Bible”—are blessings to our brains that communicate the grace of God down to our souls.

Do you have a calendar (paper or digital)? If so, how might you use it to help you remember the glory of our Savior-God?