Psalm 77:11 “I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.”
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Some years ago, my husband and I went on holiday to Cape Town. While there, we visited with a group of friends we hadn’t seen for twenty-five years. How much we had to share.
All our young children, who had played together in far-off Zimbabwe, were now married. It seemed hard to believe that those little kids of yesteryear were now the same age we had been then. They all held down responsible jobs. They were parents of growing children. We were all now grandparents.
We had all moved around a number of times. My husband and I had lived in three different cities since the time we stayed near our friends in the same suburb of Harare.
The hours sped by as we shared memories of events forgotten by some, remembered by others. Some stories brought laughter. Others caused us to swallow tears. Every now and then silence fell on the group, as we recalled scenes long buried in our memory banks. As we looked back over the years, we recognized God’s hand on our past. The more we shared, the easier it became to believe that God would do wonderful things in the future.
I remembered the words in Psalm 23: “Goodness and mercy will follow me . . .” As we reminisced, I saw how, when I had struggled with a difficult situation, God had been there. His goodness and mercy had indeed sustained me through those times. Yet I only recognized this when I looked back.
No wonder God’s Word encourages us to remember and meditate on what He has done in our lives.We don’t need to worry about the future—God is already there. One day we will be able to look back and say, "I remember when . . . and God saw me through."
PRAYER: Lord, help me to recall the amazing things you have done in the past. Thank you that I can trust you with my future. Amen.
How would YOU finish the sentence, "Remember when . . . ?"
SHIRLEY CORDER lives on the coast in South Africa with her husband. Her book, Strength Renewed: Meditations for your Journey through Breast Cancer contains 90 meditations based on times that she remembers when God saw her through the rough times spent in the cancer valley. It is available for pre-order at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble (B&N.com). Please visit Shirley through ShirleyCorder.com, where she encourages writers, RiseAndSoar.com, where she encourages those in the cancer valley, on Twitter or on FaceBook. Sign up for her writers' newsletter.
The hours sped by as we shared memories of events forgotten by some, remembered by others. Some stories brought laughter. Others caused us to swallow tears. Every now and then silence fell on the group, as we recalled scenes long buried in our memory banks. As we looked back over the years, we recognized God’s hand on our past. The more we shared, the easier it became to believe that God would do wonderful things in the future.
I remembered the words in Psalm 23: “Goodness and mercy will follow me . . .” As we reminisced, I saw how, when I had struggled with a difficult situation, God had been there. His goodness and mercy had indeed sustained me through those times. Yet I only recognized this when I looked back.
No wonder God’s Word encourages us to remember and meditate on what He has done in our lives.We don’t need to worry about the future—God is already there. One day we will be able to look back and say, "I remember when . . . and God saw me through."
PRAYER: Lord, help me to recall the amazing things you have done in the past. Thank you that I can trust you with my future. Amen.
How would YOU finish the sentence, "Remember when . . . ?"
SHIRLEY CORDER lives on the coast in South Africa with her husband. Her book, Strength Renewed: Meditations for your Journey through Breast Cancer contains 90 meditations based on times that she remembers when God saw her through the rough times spent in the cancer valley. It is available for pre-order at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble (B&N.com). Please visit Shirley through ShirleyCorder.com, where she encourages writers, RiseAndSoar.com, where she encourages those in the cancer valley, on Twitter or on FaceBook. Sign up for her writers' newsletter.
Shirley, thank you for your lovely post. Yes, sometimes it's hard to have faith in the moment - but when we look back, we can see God's hand in our lives.
ReplyDeleteThanks Maggie. It was a real epiphany for me when I realised the wording - that goodness and mercy FOLLOW me. They don't walk alongside me, or run ahead of me. Wow!
ReplyDeleteI have tried to tell my story in my book: Southern Adventures about how God knows what is best for us even when we dont. I look today and see that God gives us the desires of our hearts, if we are truly one of his.
ReplyDeleteYes, but often we don't recognise that is what he's doing until we look back. I sure didn't when I was going through cancer treatment! But today I'm glad for those experiences!
ReplyDeleteRemembering God's faithfulness in our past gives us courage for any circumstance today -- or tomorrow for that matter. "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" is my favorite hymn.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/g/r/e/greatitf.htm
Oh, wait, there's also "Near to the Heart of God.""
http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/n/e/a/neartoth.htm
Oh, dear, how does one choose a favorite?
Beautiful post Shirley, Thanks.
ReplyDelete