Remember

 

I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love, because you have seen my affliction; you have known the distress of my soul, and you have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy; you have set my feet in a broad place.

(Psalm 31:7-8)

 

 

 

I remember a few years ago someone near and dear to me going through a scary time of symptoms and tests and waiting for a diagnosis. I talked to her the day she was going for the first test. She told me that she had received assurance from God that all was going to be fine. She did not know if she was about to discover a life threatening diagnosis or something easy to treat. What she was sure of was that either way, God was in it and He would use it for good.

I stayed in touch with her as usual over the next few weeks, the process was long and drawn out in between doctor appointments. At some point she became afraid and was starting to worry about the outcome.

What a gift to me and to her that we had talked about God’s assurance to her that all would be well in the end. I was able to remind her. She had forgotten! That’s hard to believe, isn’t it? When God gives us those very personal promises wouldn’t you think that we would remember them?

Instead, we forget like the Israelites. God brought them out of Egypt with wealth the Egyptians handed to them as they left (Exodus 12:36), He parted the Red Sea (Exodus 14), and provided manna and quail for them to eat (Exodus 16). The list goes on and on but when Moses was gone a few days too long they forgot all of that and built the golden calf and worshipped it, forgetting God and all He had done for them!

My point in recounting those events is that forgetting seems to be a part of human nature from the earliest recorded events in human history. God gives us blessings in big and small ways and we forget quickly and start to look for something else to bring us happiness. Some of us turn to other people, some of us to work or money or food. We forget that it is God alone who can help us, comfort us, keep us, provide for us, and bless us.

One of the promises of the Christian life is that there will be difficulties. The world hated Jesus so they will hate His followers. Our physical bodies will fail us and there will be sickness. Other people will disappoint us and deceive us. This world is fallen and we live in it. Stuff will happen to us and we will do stuff that we will regret.

 

Paul told the Corinthians, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”  (1Corinthians 10:13).

That word temptation is translated other places as trial or test. God is faithful to us in the tests of faith that are common to all of us. We can endure them because He will help us through. What we have to do is remember to turn to Him and ask Him for help.

So, let’s remember how God has already provided for us so that we will remember to trust Him in our next trial or temptation.

Then, when it’s over and we have seen Him work, let’s remember to be grateful to our faithful God for His steadfast love.

When I need to be reminded of the Truths of God’s faithfulness, I often go to the Psalms. Here are some to remember!

Psalm 33:20 Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.

Psalm 12:7 You, O LORD, will keep them; you will guard us from this generation forever.

Psalm 89:28 My steadfast love I will keep for him forever, and my covenant will stand firm for him.

Psalm 121:5 The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand.

Psalm 65:9 You visit the earth and water it; you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide their grain, for so you have prepared it.

Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 118:29 Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!