Remembering

          The teacher asked us to draw a line horizontally across our paper. We were to write the date we were born on the left side of the line, and the current date on the right. She had us write on the timeline the date next to the most important events in our life, like moving, graduating from high school and college, when we got married and when our children were born. Then we were to go back through and write in the date and the event when we knew God was with us. I wrote things like when I committed my life to Christ and when I was baptized. We had to think back over our life and write down when we knew God answered a prayer for us. I wrote down when He healed our daughter from cancer, when I was sick in the hospital and when we had financial setbacks. I also wrote in times when I was seeking direction for my life and He showed me the way, when there were problems and difficult situations and He brought us through them.

            Soon my timeline was filled with all the things the Lord had done throughout my life. It was amazing. It is one thing to say God is always with us working things out for our good, but to see everything written down that He did was a great reminder of how much He loves and cares about me. It increased my faith and gave me hope, that just as He gave me strength to go through difficulties in the past, He would give me strength and wisdom to go through my current situation.

            Remembering the great things the Lord has done is one of the themes of the Bible. They did not draw a line on a piece of paper, but the Lord showed the Israelites a more permanent way for them to remember. In 1 Samuel 7, the Lord gives strength to the Israelites and causes them to defeat their enemy the Philistines. Samuel took a large stone and set it up at the location of the battle. He named it the Ebenezer stone, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”

            In Joshua chapter four the Lord had Joshua do something similar. After all the people crossed over the Jordan River into the Promised Land of Israel for the first time, God told Joshua to bring 12 large stones out of the river. Each stone represented one of the 12 tribes of Israel. He had the stones set up on the dry ground as a memorial to the Lord, for all the great things He did for the Israelites while they were wandering in the desert for 40 years. The Lord specifically wanted the stones standing up in a circle so when their children asked what they were, the Israelites would tell them all the wonderful ways the Lord had taken care of His people.

            Our faith grows when we Remember the great things the Lord has done in our lives. It gives us hope remembering that He has always been there, providing for us, guiding us and strengthening us. We know if He was with us during past difficult situations, He will be there in the midst of our future situations. 

What great things has the Lord done in your life that encourages 

you when new trials come your way?

Standing stones of Remembrance