Memories

Friday, June 03, 2011 Posted by Angie

Remember Past Victories

Whenever I read the story of Moses leading the people of Israel out of Egypt, I’m amazed at how quickly they forgot all they’d seen God do for them. They were eyewitnesses to some of the greatest miracles recorded in the Bible. Yet when Pharaoh road against them one more time, they cried out in helplessness. Even when it looked like they were doomed, God provided a cloud and a pillar of fire to hold back their enemy. Yet, after all of this, the sad story ends up with them circling in the desert for 40 years.

Psalm 106:13-14 says “But they soon forgot what He had done, and did not wait for His plan to unfold. In the desert they gave in to their craving; in the wilderness they put God to the test.”

The question I’ve often asked is “How can you see so many miraculous things, experience God’s provision over & over again, and still doubt that He can do anything?

God, knowing that men’s memory is fickle, commanded the Israelites to keep the Passover ceremony for all generations. (Read Exodus 12:24-27) The power wasn’t in the ceremony itself, the power was in remembering what God had done for His people.

It is our human nature, or our flesh as some might say, to live in the moment, and therefore only see that moment’s problems. It takes training ourselves to stop and say “Wait a minute, God has been faithful in the past, He can certainly take care of this”. We must remember the times He’s come through for us, and then draw strength from that victory to face our next battle. It has been said that David fought off lions and bears. I believe that knowing God protected him and gave him these victories, was the very reason he could face Goliath with such assurance.

Read Psalm 77:10-15 - David was so overwhelmed with his problems, he was in complete anguish. Then he began to REMEMBER God’s character, goodness, and faithfulness in days long ago, and it gave him strength. Let's take a lesson from David, and NOT the Israelites from Moses day..in tough times, we need to remember our past victories!