Remember…

 

Hi Sweet Friend!

How are YOU?!  Are you staying hopeful in this season of so many unknowns?  Are you facing challenging circumstances and trying to gain wisdom on what the days ahead may hold?  It’s definitely not easy making plans these days and we long for the times where we can be together in person with the ones we love. We miss the simplicity of a firm hand shake, the hug of comfort from a good, long-time friend and seeing the smiles on faces that remind us that a “smile is worth a thousand words!”

I know these days are difficult and amidst all that we are “missing”, I felt the challenge to “Remember!”  Not just to remember how the “good ‘ole days” used to be but more importantly, to focus my gaze upon remembering the Promises of God!

It’s in the Word that we find that God has much to say about the careful and intentional practice of “remembering…”

Remembering is the process of recalling the past, especially the presence and activity of God in the history of His people.  Remembering God’s work in the past can lead to praise and rejoicing, and to hope for the future! God Himself remembers….(reference: Bible Gateway)

In God’s Divine Remembering ***

He Always remembers His Covenant ~ “He has made His wonderful works to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and full of compassion. He has given food to those who fear Him; He will ever be mindful of His covenant.” Psalm 111:4-5

He Always remembers His Promises ~ “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9

He Always remembers His People ~ “Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb?  Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you, (says the Lord).  See, I have inscribed you on the palm of My hands; your walls are continually before Me.” Isaiah 49:15-16

Through God’s Word, we see that God is faithful and He keeps His promises to His people! What we choose to do with this truth about His character is incredibly important to our daily living!!  This truth has the ability to bring us great Hope and Encouragement!

 With great blessing comes great responsibility! 

 God is not a god of “force”.  He clearly provides the instruction for how He desires us to live! He also gives us the privilege of deciding whether or not we will trust Him enough to obey!

You see, the key to “Remembering,” lies in the way we approach the Word?  Do we read it and simply move on, checking the box, stating, “yea, I read the Word,”?

OR do we allow God, through our reliance on the POWER of HIS HOLY SPIRIT, to move His truth from simply becoming “more head knowledge” to actually having the power to transform our minds and guide our lives?

It is through our dependence upon the power of His indwelling Spirit that it is even possible for us to ~

Remember

God’s character and the abundant ways He’s demonstrated His faithfulness in the past,

Remember

God’s commands and the responsibility that we are to love one another, 

Remember

the depravity of our sinful, fallen state and the amazing grace of Jesus as He took our sins upon Himself and died for us on the cross.

Remember

the Victory of Jesus raising from death to life, so that we might find our Joy complete in Him.

Remember

this Victory in Christ will lead us to our Eternal Home and we can be comforted by the fact that we are just sojourners through this broken world. This is only our temporary home!

When we receive the Truth of the love and grace of Jesus, we are promised the gift of the Holy Spirit!

Jesus explained to His disciples, just before He was about to die, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your REMEMBRANCE all things, that I said to you.  Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:26-27

Friends!!  This is INCREDIBLE ~ His Spirit indwells within us!  The same POWER that raised Jesus from the dead, is the same POWER that we have living inside us!  The Holy Spirit is our Guide and Our Comforter!  He intercedes for us and gives us the assurance of our salvation!

As we learn to depend on Him, we find that He gives us all we need to face the trials in this world.  We can walk forward each day, knowing that we are never alone!

We don’t have to simply look at our circumstances or the current state of our world in fear! Rather, we can cling to the Promises of our Faithful God and in our dependence upon His Spirit, we can be REMINDED of all the ways there are to give Him Praise!

May we all continue to lean into His promises and find peace in the gentle surrender of our circumstances to our loving Father.

Remember ~ YOU are Seen, YOU are Known and YOU are Loved!

Stay well friends!

With all my love and prayers,

Stacey