The Power of Remembering God’s Goodness
I come to you today with a very effective solution for pretty much any and everything you may be facing right now: remember God’s goodness. It sounds simple, cliched, and obvious, and yet, do we remember to do it? In the midst of all my anxiety about change, do I stop to remember God’s faithfulness in the past seasons of transition? When I’m sick, do I thank Him for my health on every other day of the year? When I need a financial miracle, do I recall that He has always provided just in time when I’ve needed Him to in the past? It sounds like an almost rhetorical command, and yet, shamefully, I realize that I forgot the past so often when I’m solely focused on my present woes.
This isn’t just a chance to look around your home and say a prayer of thanks for each item you can see. No, God’s goodness extends so much further than the tangible gifts He’s given us. The things that I am most grateful for are the intangibles: His love that covered me when I thought I was alone, His peace that surpassed all human understanding when I was facing a horrifying prospect, and His faithfulness to never leave me even when others were exiting in droves. God’s very nature is what I value the most. It’s His character that sustains me when all other things have paled into meaninglessness. Who He is carries and holds me and I cling to that when I find myself in a place of despair.
Today, instead of focusing on the mountain in front of you, take a look back. Remember the nature of Your God and how He has carried you through all those previous trials. If He did it then, He’ll do it again. Why would He leave you now? He will show you Himself in a brand new way with each and every hardship you face. Remember the times He has loved you, sustained you, protected you, and kept you. If that’s not encouragement, I don’t know what is! He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and He’s not going to leave you now or ever. Take a look back today and remember His goodness, and then watch as your current trials look a little bit smaller as you return to face them.
