One of the places I pass on my morning walks is a memorial dedicated to the fallen soldiers of Modi’in. Like so many memorials in Israel, it isn’t tucked away behind gates or hidden in a cemetery. It is simply part of everyday life. Children ride their bikes past it. Parents push strollers beside it. People pause for a moment, read a few names, and continue on with their day.
Carved into the memorial is a verse from the prophet Jeremiah that has always been especially meaningful to me:
This verse has always held a special place in my heart because one of my daughter’s names is Yakira, from the Hebrew word yakir, meaning “precious” or “beloved.” We chose the name because we loved the verse, and because it also honors her grandfather. Every time I read Jeremiah’s words, I think of her. But this morning, another part of the verse caught my attention.
“For whenever I speak of him, I surely remember him.”
It struck me as an unusual inscription for a memorial. After all, God doesn’t forget.
When the Bible says that God “remembered” Noah, it wasn’t because Noah had slipped His mind. When God “remembered” Rachel, it wasn’t because He suddenly recalled her. When God “remembered” His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, it meant He acted according to His promises. In the Bible, remembering is never simply about memory. It is about faithfulness.
Every name carved into that stone belongs to someone who was deeply loved. Someone’s son. Someone’s daughter. Someone’s brother or sister. Someone’s husband, wife, father, or mother. Every timeI drive or walk by the memorial, I am reminded that I must remember. Jeremiah reminds us that God already does not need the reminder.
Perhaps that is why this verse was chosen.
Not because these soldiers might somehow fade from God’s memory, but because they never will. They remain yakir. Precious. Cherished. Beloved.
Living in Israel means that reminders like this become part of ordinary life. You don’t have to visit a national cemetery to remember the cost of defending this country. The reminders are woven into neighborhoods, parks, schools, and city squares. They become part of your morning walk.
As I continued walking, I found myself thinking about that simple Hebrew word, yakir.
It is easy to measure people by what they accomplished, what they owned, or the titles they carried. God chooses a different word.
Precious.
Perhaps that is how He has always seen His children.
And perhaps that is why Jeremiah’s words still speak so powerfully today.
