"Remember these things, Jacob, and Israel, for you are My servant; I formed you, you are My servant; Israel, you will never be forgotten by Me." Isaiah 44: 21 (HCSB)
Don't you love those seasons in life where God's presence is easily felt, His voice is easily discerned, and His plan unfolds before us with ease? Just this past week, I vividly recall telling a very close friend of mine.... "My life is golden...right now!"
Now, don't misunderstand me...every day of life is a gift and blessing...period!! But each day is not always an easy one....would you agree?
You see, I presently find myself in a season of life which I've often heard many refer to as "the mountaintop!!!" Life is definitely good!!!!
Oh, I've experienced "the valley" as well and after having experienced the valley; I've learned to do one important thing while on the mountaintop.....keep a prayer journal of all of God's amazing confirmation toward and interaction with me!!!
Why?... Well, because I know that some day; and maybe soon; God will lead me down from the mountaintop and I'll more than most likely find myself traversing the valley once again; and in the valleys of life, it always helps and sustains us to call to remembrance the awesome things God has done that proved His faithfulness "before" we entered the valley!!!
In her book "Jesus in Blue Jeans" Laurie Beth Jones gives a great example of this: "Whenever it seemed that the Israelites were poised at the gates of change, God sent someone to bring them into remembrance of all of the times He had helped them in the past." (1)
David gives us another great example of this in 1 Samuel 17 when he recounts how God proved faithful in helping him slay a bear and lion while he was tending his father's sheep...he used the memory of those separate incidences to bolster and encourage his certainty that God would do the very same in helping him defeat Goliath, the enemy of the Israelite army... "Then David said, The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine." 1 Samuel 17:37 (HCSB)
In my own life, there have been many times where God has demonstrated His faithfulness, but there was a particularly sweet season just months before my parents died, in which, God orchestrated the most precious series of miracles that have now become for me "the premiere set" of remembrances which I love to revisit when I find myself journeying through life's difficulties....as a matter of fact, it was in that valley of grief after my parents died, that I first began to understand the practice of using my various prayer journals to "call" God's past faithfulness back to memory....quite simply.... doing so; helped me to hold ever more tightly to my faith! I truly knew if God had proven Himself trustworthy in my life once before; I had no reason to doubt, even in the midst of deep pain, that He would not fail to do it again....
So, what about you, My Friend? How has God proven His faithfulness to you? What miracles has He worked on your behalf? How; and what; has He delivered you from? I encourage you to meditate on the answers to these questions today or better yet, to write them out and then keep them someplace where you can return to them whenever you need a fresh reminder of Who God is and how He works on behalf of those He loves...
Answer those few questions ESPECIALLY if you find yourself in a deep valley; longing to understand the steps God is taking....I can tell you that although the answers to your questions may not change the circumstance you find yourself in; they can help you walk that circumstance out with the confidence and assurance of knowing that the very same God who proved mighty enough to save you from hardship once before; is the very same God who will see you safely through it once again......
1. "Jesus In Blue Jeans: A Practical Guide to Every day Spirituality" Laurie Beth Jones 1997 Hyperion Publishing
