THE BENEFITS OF REMEMBERING GOD’S BLESSINGS FROM THE PAST

 

We quite often forget past experiences, especially the good ones. But for some reason, the hurts and people who have hurt us never seem to go away; they stay fresh in our memory for years, as if they happened only a day or so ago. If only we could remember all His blessings as clearly as our hurts!

Remembering past experiences with God helps us in at least three ways: to live with gratitude, trust, and obedience to Him.

GRATITUDE: The Bible teaches us to be thankful in all situations because it is God’s will for us (see 1 Thessalonians 5:18). Being grateful at the time of an incident is good, but it’s even better when we make a habit of remembering it often and being thankful repeatedly. Yes, God heard us the first time and knows our hearts enough to know that we are grateful. But remembering it is to our own benefit.

TRUST: When we remember God’s past blessings and provision, we are encouraged; it deepens our trust and confidence in Him.  We might even say, “He did it before; He can and will do it again.” Even when we haven’t had particular experiences, we can look at the scriptures and claim promises. We can also look at each other’s lives, be encouraged by what God is doing amongst us, and trust Him. The enemy is always trying to cause us to doubt God, so let’s be on our guard.

OBEDIENCE: Due to our tendency to forget, God instructs us to create memorials. If we obey this command, we are more likely to remember our experiences with God. For instance, after the Israelites crossed the Jordan River, God instructed them to build a twelve-stone memorial for themselves and future generations as a reminder that the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the LORD’s Covenant went across (see Joshua 4:1-7).

Also, after Moses gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments, he invited them to wholeheartedly obey the Lord as they were entering the Promised Land so that it would be well with them in their new home. He charged them to repeat the commands to their children and grandchildren. And in addition, to teach them at home, on the road, when going to bed and when waking up. They were to tie them to their hands, wear them on their foreheads, and write them on the doorposts and gates of their houses (see Deuteronomy 6:1-9). What’s our reason for wearing CROSS jewelry or hanging framed Scripture verses on our walls? Are they for decoration, or so that we’ll remember?

In the same way, God wants us, His children, to remember Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for our salvation, and so He commands us to celebrate the Lord’s Supper often in remembrance of Him: “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me. … This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this to remember me as often as you drink it” (1 Corinthians 11:24-25). Obeying God in these things reminds us of His past provision.

Do you ever wonder why the Israelites were often in so much trouble with the Lord in the wilderness? Well, I do, and it bothers me! Unfortunately, we have the same problem they had--forgetfulness. Most of their problems were short memory, ingratitude, and disobedience. Their story is recorded for our benefit; let’s learn from them and have a different outcome. If we do, God will bless us.