Remembering.
Isaiah 63 begins with a picture of the Lord's judgment and salvation. Then, in the middle of it all, Isaiah remembers what the Lord has done before, and the chapter ultimately ends with a prayer to Him.
Isaiah writes: "Then he remembered the days of old, Moses and his people, saying: "Where is He who brought them up out of the sea With the shepherd of His flock? Where is He who put His Holy Spirit within them, Who led them by the right hand of Moses, With His glorious arm, Dividing the water before them To make for Himself an everlasting name," Isaiah 63:11-12
We must remember the Bible wasn't written to us, but it was certainly written for us. Isaiah is reminding God's people of His strong hand, His love, His goodness, and His mercy. He is calling them to remember all that God had done to establish them and how He was present with them.
Maybe that is something we need to do more often.
There will be seasons of affliction and difficulty. Some will come because of circumstances outside our control, and some will be the result of our own decisions. But regardless of how we arrived in the difficult place, we must not allow the difficulty to make us forget who God is.
What are you remembering?
When life gets hard, do you remember the problems more than the God who has carried you through problems before, or your failures more than His faithfulness? Do you focus so much on what you cannot see that you forget what He has already done?
Take a moment today to remember what the Lord has brought you through, the prayers He has answered, His provision, and the times His presence was with you even when you couldn't see what He was doing.
What is the Lord doing in your life right now?
Our circumstances may change, but God does not. So when we start to question what God is doing, remember who He is and what He has already done.
Don't let today's difficulty cause you to forget yesterday's faithfulness.
-To Know Jesus. To Live on Mission.