Post by Messenger on Aug 11, 2005 9:52:13 GMT -5
My topic today is remembering.
I know that this may be kind of a strange topic to talk about, but I hope what you read will be helpfiu!
How often have we gotten so wrapped up in the world, that all we can do is concentrate on the moment, with no thought for the future, & no consideration for the past? Yet, I have discovered, how important remembering what the Lord has done in our lives, as the great Jewish leaders of old, was of extreme importance! For those of us who are at least somewhat familiar with them, they were both right with the Lord & disobediant to the Lord more times than any race in history! Yet, it was the great leaders & prophets of God, that showed the Jews, (& us as well-even today!), the true path that they should take-that path of rememberance!
Look at the prayers of such great men as Elijah, David, & Jehosapohat, & Hezikiah! Great men of prayer, that always brought the Jewish people through seemingly impossible situations, simply by telling their people to remember the wondrous acts that the Lord had done for them in the past! And what happened when the people DID remember how the Lord had worked so mightily for them in the past-He CONTINUED to work mightily for them! Most of the time, it had to do when either an individual, or the entire nation, was under the threat of some great attack! Yet, when the people REMEMBERED how God had worked for them in the past, God saved them from from seemingly impossible situations-time & time again!
In the Psalms-David remembered how God had protected Israel in the past, & was saved time & time again from the wrath of King Saul!
Hezikiah & Jehosaphat, both had massive armies ready to come down & destroy their people, yet when either they themselves, or having the people remember how God had blessed them in the past, they ALWAYS won even the most impossible battles-time after time!
This is why God wants us to learn to trust Him more, by remembering all the great things that He has done for us in the past!
What great thing has the Lord done in YOUR past, my Brothers & Sisters? I know for myself-the dozens of witnessing oppurtunities, having prayers answerd right & left, all the incredible worship oppurtunities, & of course, when I was ready to kill myself, leading me to what would become my home church, & using 3 wonderful, loving women there, to bring me back to His family again! That is why it is so important for each of us to remember all that God has done for each of us, when we feel lost or alone!
Remembering also takes on another connotation as well! In the Bible, it says that when we confess our sins to Him, that God will forgive our sins, & remember them NO MORE! This is TRUE rememberance! If there are any sins that you constantly dwell on, even though you know that you have confessed them & asked for forgivness IN JESUS NAME, than it is time to focus in on what God's Word says-"Though your sins, be as scarlett, the shall be white as snow. Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." (Isaiah 1:18) Or how about 1 John 1:9-"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. Or how about this one? "As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed thy trangressions from thee."
I think you can see where i am going with this. Are you too busy to know how much God loves you? As you so wrapped up in your own difficulties, that you feel like all is hopeless? Then it is time to do some serious remembering! Remembering how God saved you, remembering how God used you to bring others to a saving knowledge of Him, about prayers that have been answered, or just about how God has changed you from what you once were. The OT is full of stories of how, when people remembered, what God had done for them in their past, things DID change! It is time to do a little, no, scratch that-a LOT of remembering of just how good the Lord really HAS been to us!
Be Blessed!
Bill
I know that this may be kind of a strange topic to talk about, but I hope what you read will be helpfiu!
How often have we gotten so wrapped up in the world, that all we can do is concentrate on the moment, with no thought for the future, & no consideration for the past? Yet, I have discovered, how important remembering what the Lord has done in our lives, as the great Jewish leaders of old, was of extreme importance! For those of us who are at least somewhat familiar with them, they were both right with the Lord & disobediant to the Lord more times than any race in history! Yet, it was the great leaders & prophets of God, that showed the Jews, (& us as well-even today!), the true path that they should take-that path of rememberance!
Look at the prayers of such great men as Elijah, David, & Jehosapohat, & Hezikiah! Great men of prayer, that always brought the Jewish people through seemingly impossible situations, simply by telling their people to remember the wondrous acts that the Lord had done for them in the past! And what happened when the people DID remember how the Lord had worked so mightily for them in the past-He CONTINUED to work mightily for them! Most of the time, it had to do when either an individual, or the entire nation, was under the threat of some great attack! Yet, when the people REMEMBERED how God had worked for them in the past, God saved them from from seemingly impossible situations-time & time again!
In the Psalms-David remembered how God had protected Israel in the past, & was saved time & time again from the wrath of King Saul!
Hezikiah & Jehosaphat, both had massive armies ready to come down & destroy their people, yet when either they themselves, or having the people remember how God had blessed them in the past, they ALWAYS won even the most impossible battles-time after time!
This is why God wants us to learn to trust Him more, by remembering all the great things that He has done for us in the past!
What great thing has the Lord done in YOUR past, my Brothers & Sisters? I know for myself-the dozens of witnessing oppurtunities, having prayers answerd right & left, all the incredible worship oppurtunities, & of course, when I was ready to kill myself, leading me to what would become my home church, & using 3 wonderful, loving women there, to bring me back to His family again! That is why it is so important for each of us to remember all that God has done for each of us, when we feel lost or alone!
Remembering also takes on another connotation as well! In the Bible, it says that when we confess our sins to Him, that God will forgive our sins, & remember them NO MORE! This is TRUE rememberance! If there are any sins that you constantly dwell on, even though you know that you have confessed them & asked for forgivness IN JESUS NAME, than it is time to focus in on what God's Word says-"Though your sins, be as scarlett, the shall be white as snow. Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." (Isaiah 1:18) Or how about 1 John 1:9-"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. Or how about this one? "As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed thy trangressions from thee."
I think you can see where i am going with this. Are you too busy to know how much God loves you? As you so wrapped up in your own difficulties, that you feel like all is hopeless? Then it is time to do some serious remembering! Remembering how God saved you, remembering how God used you to bring others to a saving knowledge of Him, about prayers that have been answered, or just about how God has changed you from what you once were. The OT is full of stories of how, when people remembered, what God had done for them in their past, things DID change! It is time to do a little, no, scratch that-a LOT of remembering of just how good the Lord really HAS been to us!
Be Blessed!
Bill
