Let us remember

"Our faith would be stronger if we would remember 

what God has done for us in the past. 

For some reason, as humans, we seem to remember 

all the hurts and tragedies of our past, 

but forget the good that has happened. 

“Some saints have very short memories. 

It has been well said that we write our benefits in dust 

and our injuries in marble,

 and it is equally true that we generally inscribe 

our afflictions upon brass,

while the records of the deliverances 

of God are written in water."

C. H. Spurgeon   (from "The Lion & the Bear") 

Memory is our ability to store, retain, and recall information and experiences. 

 - the power of our mind to remember things.

But - why do the negative memories seem bigger and 

seem to carry more weight than the good??  

Is Satan fighting us by causing us to forget what God has done?


Did you know that scientists now think there are specific neural circuits for specific memories?  

Whatever the reason, God recognized our inclination to forget.
  

In the Old Testament,  God is constantly warning the 

children of Israel to “remember” or “do not forget”. 

He instructed them numerous times to take stones and stack then on top of each other so that “when your children and children’s children ask why these stones are here, you can tell them what God has done”.  (Joshua 4:2-9)

These were monuments of remembrance.  
God knew they would forget

What do YOU do so that you will NOT forget what God has done for you?
Because you will forget, you know?  

       


For those times when you were distraught and His presence came.

        For those times when you were all alone and he comforted you. 

        For when the situation was impossible and the finances came through.
        For when the situation was impossible and someone came and held you.  

It’s important for us to devise our own method of remembering because - we WILL forget.  


I have a friend who literally has an altar in her house of rocks.  Dates written on them as reminders of what God had done.  


Another family with small children has a bowl on their dining room table with smooth river stones in them.  They are dated with a word to remind them.  They occasionally go through the bowl and discuss the events and how God came.  


I keep a 'joy journal' as a reminder.  
Sometimes I even enter a brief description on my recurring Outlook calendar.  That way, each year on the very date, it pops up as a reminder.  I love that.  

So what are your monuments of remembrance?
What do you do, so that you won't forget?
So when the tough times come again - and they will -  you can look back and be encouraged.  

"Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. 

He named it Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far has the Lord helped us."  1 Sam 7:12 (NIV)

“...Be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God” (Deu 8:11b). 

“Do not become proud...and forget the Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery” (Deu 8:14).

“If you ever forget the Lord your God...you will certainly be destroyed” (Deu 8:19).