Remember the Lord

Remembering

We all want God to speak to us or show us something new. We want him to change something. And that is perfectly okay. He's our Father. He is God, and He wants to bless us. But sometimes we need to stop and remember the things he has done, shown, and given us in the past. Remember means: to recall something forgotten; to keep something in memory.  We should remember, or keep in our memory, all the good times.  But we also need to remember the trials. Think back over the hard times in your life. Remember when God answered that specific prayer request? Remember when He provided and took care of you when there was no hope? Remember when He put that special friend in your life to encourage you? Do you remember when He showed Himself to you? When He showed Himself faithful and kind? Remember when......you fill in the blank. 

There are a few things mentioned in Scripture worth remembering: 

1.  We should remember the Lord. (Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God. - Psalm 20:7
Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them; -Ecclesiastes 12:1) 

2. We should remember the words of the Lord. (I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word. -Psalm 119:16)

3. We should remember how we were at one time without Christ, but now are made nigh by His blood. (That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. - Ephesians 2:12-13)

4. We should remember the good news of the gospel. (Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel: - 2 Timothy 2:8)

5. We should remember His works. (He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the Lord is gracious and full of compassion. -Psalm 11:4 
I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands. 
- Psalm 143:5
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. - 2 Corinthians 5:21)

Over and over in Deuteronomy, the Lord tells the children of Israel to remember. "Remember when I brought you out of Egypt; remember when you were servants to Pharaoh. Remember the plagues I brought upon Pharaoh. Remember the Lord your God, and the day you were led out of Egypt and redeemed. Remember what Amalek did to you, and remember the days of old." The Psalms are full of David remembering the goodness and works of God and beseeching God to remember him (David) and His promises.

It is okay to ask God for things-we're His children. But there is something special about pausing and remembering what He has already done. The more we remember, the more we can trust Him; the more we can rest in Him, and the more we know how very near He is to us. In Psalm 77:11-12 David says, "I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old. I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings."

It would be encouraging to take a moment, look behind you, and see the path that the Lord has led you through.  Perhaps it would be helpful to do some remembering and meditating on the past miracles, struggles, and victories. He is so faithful. And the things He does are worth remembering. 

"Only fear the Lord, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you." ~ 1 Samuel 12:24