Remember

Deuteronomy 4:9 says "only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live.  Teach them to your children and to their children after them."

Last night I spent close to an hour going back and reading old blog posts, notes, and journal entries.  It was strange to go back to the struggles and triumphs that have been old history for so many years now.  But at the same time, it was so good to remember.  There were so many things that seemed like such big issues to me at the time, and now looking back....they're not even a blip on my radar of life.  And I found things that I had prayed for, that had lain very heavy on my heart for quite a while, that have now been answered.

One of my biggest struggles has always been making close female friends.  I don't know why, but I've always found it difficult to really connect with girls.  And there are some things that I just can't tell guys, so I was always kind of in a tough spot.  So a big prayer, one that surfaced over and over in my writings, was that God would send me close girlfriends.  Well, as I was reading back over those writings, I was struck by the fact that now, for the first time in my life, I now have more girlfriends than I have guy friends.

That may seem like a simple, trivial thing.  But to me it was huge.  Countless other examples of God's mercy and provision surfaced as I was perusing the cries of my heart from long ago.  And that's why it is so important to remember.  I encourage you to keep a journal.  Even if it's not regular, it's so important to remember what God has done for you.  And, although you may think right now that you will never forget, I can guarantee you that you will.

But God's mercies are always here.  And remembering what He has done in the past can make trusting Him with your future so much easier.  He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  Remember what He has done for you.  That will never change.  Even though the future may be scary, trust that He will take care of you like He has already done in the past.  He has promised that He won't let you down.  It's your job to remember that. 

Deuteronomy 4:9-14

 ⁹ Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. ¹⁰ Remember the day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, when he said to me, “Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learn to revere me as long as they live in the land and may teach them to their children.” ¹¹ You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain while it blazed with fire to the very heavens, with black clouds and deep darkness. ¹² Then the LORD spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of words but saw no form; there was only a voice. ¹³ He declared to you his covenant, the Ten Commandments, which he commanded you to follow and then wrote them on two stone tablets. ¹⁴ And the LORD directed me at that time to teach you the decrees and laws you are to follow in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess.

Don't forget

I like to keep a travel blog to document my adventures around the world.  It’s been over six months – since I got back from studying in Spain – since I’ve updated it.  Well today, in honor of my imminent departure to a far-flung country, today I decided to write another entry in that blog.

I wasn’t writing, however, about my adventures in South Korea.  I was writing about my adventures here, on my home turf.  I wrote about the fun I’ve had with my friends and family, and what I’ve done to get ready to leave, and most importantly about the provision of my God.  As I was writing, I began to mourn for the many years of my life that passed in silence, without a single word written to remember them with. 

I know that there are so many things that I didn’t write about when I was young that are lost forever now.  My fears, hopes, triumphs, and struggles – they are lost to memory forever.  That’s why it’s so important to document what happens in our lives.  And not just the big things – it’s the summation of the little things that makes a life worthwhile. 

God wants us to do the same thing with Him.  He has told us to tell what He has done to our children, so that we don’t forget.  Humans have notoriously short memories.  If we don’t write down what He has done in our lives, and tell to others how He has blessed us, we will forget.  Don’t forget.  Keep God always in the forefront of your mind, so that you will always remember how much He has blessed you, how He has always looked out for you and, most importantly, how incredibly much He loves you.

Deuteronomy 4:9

Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.