Remembering and Renewal
I have a friend who recently told me that this has been the hardest year of her life. Knowing some of the difficult trials she has faced, I would have to acknowledge that her assessment is probably pretty accurate. Perhaps you would say that has been your story this year, too.
The end of the year is a time of reflection for many of us, an evaluation of the highs and lows from the past 12 months. As you think back on 2013, what do you remember about this year? Are there people or events that touched your heart, changed or challenged you in some way? Maybe this has been a year full of difficulty or great loss for you.
Remembering is a powerful tool and one that God Himself instructs His people to use. In the Book of Joshua, God has just brought His people out of the desert wilderness that has been their destiny for the past 40 years. The first thing He tells them to do is to have the priests pick up 12 rocks from the riverbed of the Jordan and place them in the new land, the Promised Land, as a way for all generations to REMEMBER what God has done for them...how He used the difficult days to teach them to trust in Him, how He taught them to rely on His perfect Provision with daily manna (bread), how He had rescued them with the parting of the Red Sea and the Jordan...how, despite their failures, He still had kept His covenant promises.
So, why was this remembering so important for God's people then, and why is it still important for us today?
BECAUSE WHEN WE REMEMBER ALL THE WAYS GOD HAS RESCUED, REDEEMED, PROVIDED AND PROTECTED US...THEN OUR FAITH IS STRENGTHENED FOR THE FUTURE AND OUR GRATITUDE AND LOVE FOR HIM GROW.
You see, God knew that the Isrealites were going to need to trust Him for the battles that lay ahead (Think of the trust it took to follow His battle plan to conquer Jericho~I mean who thinks it will work to march around a city 7 times and the walls fall?! Only a people who trust completely in their God). He knew that remembering what He had done would give them hope, encouragement and a deeper faith in Him and His power.
So as you reflect back on 2013, let me challenge you to pick up your own "rocks of remembrance." Looking back on this year, what are all the ways God has rescued, redeemed, protected and provided for you...in good times and in difficult? Prayerfully look at where His Spirit has been moving in your life. List them all in one place. Then, look over each one and thank Him. We often utter a quick "thank you" in the moment, but there is something very powerful about seeing all He has done before you at one time. It is truly awe-inspiring. It releases the gift of joy.
When He is the focus of your remembering, your perspective will be filled with His magnificent purpose.
My friend, who has lived through the most difficult year, also came to know Christ in a deeper and more intimate level than ever before...and remembering that, has changed her perspective from one of sorrow to one of hope.
May you reflect, ponder and pray with Christ as your focus...then, and only then, will you leave 2013 and enter the new year with a heart filled with hope, trust and gratitude for Who He is.
Happy New Year to you all!
The end of the year is a time of reflection for many of us, an evaluation of the highs and lows from the past 12 months. As you think back on 2013, what do you remember about this year? Are there people or events that touched your heart, changed or challenged you in some way? Maybe this has been a year full of difficulty or great loss for you.
Remembering is a powerful tool and one that God Himself instructs His people to use. In the Book of Joshua, God has just brought His people out of the desert wilderness that has been their destiny for the past 40 years. The first thing He tells them to do is to have the priests pick up 12 rocks from the riverbed of the Jordan and place them in the new land, the Promised Land, as a way for all generations to REMEMBER what God has done for them...how He used the difficult days to teach them to trust in Him, how He taught them to rely on His perfect Provision with daily manna (bread), how He had rescued them with the parting of the Red Sea and the Jordan...how, despite their failures, He still had kept His covenant promises.
So, why was this remembering so important for God's people then, and why is it still important for us today?
BECAUSE WHEN WE REMEMBER ALL THE WAYS GOD HAS RESCUED, REDEEMED, PROVIDED AND PROTECTED US...THEN OUR FAITH IS STRENGTHENED FOR THE FUTURE AND OUR GRATITUDE AND LOVE FOR HIM GROW.
You see, God knew that the Isrealites were going to need to trust Him for the battles that lay ahead (Think of the trust it took to follow His battle plan to conquer Jericho~I mean who thinks it will work to march around a city 7 times and the walls fall?! Only a people who trust completely in their God). He knew that remembering what He had done would give them hope, encouragement and a deeper faith in Him and His power.
So as you reflect back on 2013, let me challenge you to pick up your own "rocks of remembrance." Looking back on this year, what are all the ways God has rescued, redeemed, protected and provided for you...in good times and in difficult? Prayerfully look at where His Spirit has been moving in your life. List them all in one place. Then, look over each one and thank Him. We often utter a quick "thank you" in the moment, but there is something very powerful about seeing all He has done before you at one time. It is truly awe-inspiring. It releases the gift of joy.
When He is the focus of your remembering, your perspective will be filled with His magnificent purpose.
My friend, who has lived through the most difficult year, also came to know Christ in a deeper and more intimate level than ever before...and remembering that, has changed her perspective from one of sorrow to one of hope.
May you reflect, ponder and pray with Christ as your focus...then, and only then, will you leave 2013 and enter the new year with a heart filled with hope, trust and gratitude for Who He is.
Happy New Year to you all!
