Remembering God's Deeds
Remember
Psalm 77:11 has the resolve that many of us fail to keep, “I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old” (ESV). The Psalmist does not try to remember, or hope to — he emphatically states he will remember the deeds and mercy of the Lord.
We are prone to forget. We are prone to doubt. We are more prone to doubt God’s kindness under dark clouds rather than meditate on His faithfulness. We are dependent upon God to refresh us and instruct us on how to remember Him and that we must remember Him.
If the Scriptures command us to remember God’s kindness then we have a duty to remember. And like all graces in the Christian life, every duty becomes delight in the work of the cross.
Write
Deuteronomy 8:2 instructs the Israelites to “remember” their 40 years of wilderness wandering and God’s multiplied mercy all those years. And for us we think, “How could you not remember 40 years of mercy?” And yet, many of us forget God’s mercy from yesterday.
The Apostle Paul also sees the Old Testament in this framework as well in Romans 15:4, ESV, “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”
If what was written before us was for our hope and encouragement, why shouldn’t we be like the Lord and write for our own as well? Perhaps one of the best ways we remember the Lord’s grace to us is to make note of it.
Grab a journal and write. Maybe not daily. Maybe not weekly. But write. Discipline yourself to write answered prayers, acts of gracious providence, and texts of Scripture that illuminate your heart in dark days.
Rejoice
One of the ways we enflame our hearts to sing is to reflect upon the abundance of God’s compassion. Again, the Psalmist helps us here in Psalm 103:2, ESV, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” Blessing the Lord is fueled by remembering God’s goodness.
Rejoice in the Lord — forget not all His benefits. Therefore, write them down.
