Memories…

When mom was in the initial stage of memory loss, she accepted it. This made it easy to talk about. I told her that I didn’t think much about the past, so if I lost my short-term memory, my mind would be a total blank. She laughed with me.

Today’s devotional is a reminder that memories of the past can be valuable. If I remember what God has done, discouragement takes a hike. Remembering that God is God is also strength during hard times. Thoughts of past failures can affect humility and remembering what He has taught me should keep me from making the same mistakes. 

I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds. (Psalm 77:11–12)

While I do not like to remember struggles, this also has purpose with current difficulties because I remember how God brought me through:

But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. (Hebrews 10:32–33)

Other memories are not personal, but come from historical records and remind me that the news of today is not so different from former tragedies and remind me also that the Lord who brought His people through difficulties in the past can do it again.

For instance, in 1893 the Philadelphia and Reading Railroads filed for bankruptcy, great financial trusts began to collapse, and 500 banks failed. The next year 142 more banks failed, one-quarter of all heavy industry was idle, in one seventeen-day period in January there was an eleven-million-dollar run on the gold of the federal treasury. Not only that, a forest fire near Hinkley, Minnesota, destroyed 160,000 acres and killed 400 people.

Other events, like two world wars plus a host of weather-related tragedies, accidents, crashes, and crime can shake faith, yet God's promises still hold and are still a comfort in the times of storms. He says:

Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. The wild beasts will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches, for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people, the people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise. (Isaiah 43:18–21)

Some call the Christian’s future hope “pie-in-the-sky” yet without it, how do we keep going? Those who know Jesus are usually not among those who fall into deep despair and jump out windows or take too many pills to escape their unbearable situation.

PRAY: While it is good to remember Your power and goodness, I also like the advice to not remember former things, but dwell on the glory that is to come. Bad memories can sometimes make me feel like quitting. Future hope never does that, even when my future hope is based on Your past promises and faithfulness. Thank You for the memories and the ability to sort them out and put them where they best belong. 

Faith like a Child

 

The past two days have had a measure of great satisfaction and ridiculous frustration. First the frustration — definitely a first world problem. Normally my computers work in my car. It is an older vehicle but if my android phone is on, I have Wifi even traveling a couple hundred miles from home. This time, we took my hubby’s newer vehicle with all sorts of bells and whistles. His phone calls and texts come through the cars technical screen. BUT mine would not. I tried everything and wound up not able to read my devotions or enter them in my word processor, never mind get on the Internet to post them. The same held true as we drove home, I could play Solitaire but not read or write in the care — just like the day before.

However, it was an incredible day with my cousin. She is my age and the two of us have been lifelong friends. We put together the plans for our July family reunion. All the agenda, funding, and venue details, plus the caterer came so the food is figured out too. What fun we had doing it. Then we stayed in her home, watched sports on TV, looked at scrapbooks, and reminisced our childhood. It was a total blessing.

Tonight, at home, my tech stuff works just fine, just at it did at my cousins’s home. Today’s devotional is about the carefree life of a young child, which was already on my mind from the joyful visiting yesterday and talking about the things we did when we were little. The devotional compares that to the Christian life.

The chief characteristics of a young child is living by faith and in freedom from care. Back then, when we were little, our lives were one long trust from year’s end to year’s end. We trusted our parents, teachers, and sometimes even people utterly unworthy of trust.

Our parents took care of us, providing everything. We took no thought for anything, made few plans (just to go swimming at the mud hole) and yet life was incredibly good and much simpler than it is today. It is wonderful to remember the carefree life we had.

The life of faith is to be like that — a child in our Father’s house, our weary, burdened life transformed into one of blessedness and rest, leaving ourselves in His hands…

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6–7)

PRAY: Lord God, the reminiscing was both a great delight and a sort of sadness and we wished it was not so far from what we know now. Our days are often filled with busyness and responsibility, yet these verse become a wonderful reality when I slow down and remember that You want my childlike faith and trust. When it is in place, I can be that carefree youngster all over again. Belonging to You need not be frustrating at all, but a joyful satisfaction. Thank You for caring for us, Your children.

Thankful for Thanksgiving . . .

 

READ 1 Thessalonians 1–5, 2 Thessalonians 1–3

Yesterday, three generations in one house, differences in ideas, ambitions and preference but obvious unity in making that day special. No arguments, everyone pitching in regarding the meal and other activities, and a great deal of laughter and joy along with sharing life’s stories. As I read the Scriptures for today, the sense of Paul’s desire to share life with his readers was strengthened by the way our family shared life with one another on Thanksgiving Day. They are also very dear to us.

So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. (1 Thessalonians 2:8)

Sharing ourselves is often expressed in the words said, words that tell others how important they are to us and to others. The following verses are examples of how to build others up by talking about them instead of talking about me:

For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy. (2:19–20)

Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another. (4:9)

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. (5:23–24)

We repeatedly thanked our son and his wife who hosted our gathering with such warm grace and obvious love for each guest, from the four-year-old up to my hubby and I, their parents and his great grandparents. My thoughts of them today are much like Paul’s words to the Thessalonians:

We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith . . . . (2 Thessalonians 1:3–4)

We are also thankful to God for His choice to bring them to salvation “through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth . . . .that they may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2:13–14) and rejoice knowing that “the Lord is faithful. He will establish them and guard them against the evil one. . . .” and “have confidence in the Lord . . .” that they are doing and will do what He asks of them. (3:3–4)

This delight in family is one thing, yet what do these readings say to me? How am I to apply them? Paul told his NT readers that he and his coworkers “were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you.” As the oldest and as the parents, grandparents, and great grandparents in the group, we could have claimed the right to sit on the sofa while everyone else was working in the kitchen, but that is not what God says. Not only are we to set an example for others to imitate, we know that God wants everyone to pitch in, not be idle. He says:

For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. (3:7–12)

Participation, like bringing some of the meal, helping to cook and serve it, assisting in the clean-up and enjoying what the other guests have to say is part of what it means to show the love of God to others. Yet it is more than that. I don’t know who said it or when, but I keep hearing the words, “There is a special feeling in this place.” That is what the Spirit of the Lord brings when His people give of themselves by giving up self-seeking and are totally tuned into those around them. God enabled all, even those who don’t believe yet, to do that, and that topped the list of everything for which I am thankful.