"Remember today that your children were not the ones who saw and experienced the discipline of the Lord your God: his majesty, his mighty hand, his outstretched arm; the signs he performed and the things he did in the heart of Egypt, both to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his whole country; what he did to the Egyptian army…" (Deuteronomy 11:2-4)
Throughout Deuteronomy Moses reminds the Israelites of the past triumphs that they had due to the Lord their God as well as the defeats they suffered because of their disobedience. God told Moses to remind the people, so that they would not disobey Him or lose faith. God knew that through the Israelites remembering the past that it would bolster their faith.
I believe that this technique that God told Moses to use with the Israelites is something that we can do today to strengthen our faith. When we remember the triumphs that we had due to the Lord our God as well as our defeats we suffered because of our disobedience, it actually encourages us to move forward in our relationship with God.
One way to remember the past is by journaling. It gives us the opportunity to look at the past prayers that have been answered and the reasons God might have said "No", "Yes", or "Wait." I shared with the Young Life girls last Monday that the Christian man that I dated before meeting Kenny lived in Uganda. He was trying to come over to America to work and one day live. We knew that if it was God's will for him to come, although it is extremely hard for young men and women from African countries, that God would open the door. We also knew that if God opened this door that there was a good chance that it would lead to marriage. We prayed daily for two to three months for God to open this door. I had never been so diligent about praying for one particular desire. I was sure the answer would be "Yes".
After three months, the answer came back from the Ugandan Embassy. They said "No". We both knew that this was a closed door that would most likely never be opened again. Once an embassy denies you from coming to America, there is little chance that they will ever allow you to enter the country. Our relationship ended pretty shortly after this denial. I didn't understand it then, but of course after meeting my soul mate that changed. God had created the perfect man for me. My husband,Kenny, surpassed the man of my dreams; he was sent from my Heavenly Father. Even today as I look back at this experience, I am left teary eyed saying, "Thank You Lord that 'as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are [Your] ways higher than [my] ways, and [Your] thoughts than [my] thoughts'" (Isaiah 55:9).
Remembering can be powerful tool in growing closer to the Lord and renewing our faith.
Lord, thank You so much for the lessons that You still teach us today through the lessons that You taught the Israelites. Thank You that You are an amazing God with extraordinary wisdom, discernment, patience, and love. Please help us to walk in the ways that You call Your children to walk. In Jesus mighty name, we pray, Amen.
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