Anniversaries. Marked moments in time.
Joshua set up the twelve stones that had been in the middle of the Jordan
at the spot where the priests who had carried the ark of the covenant had stood.
And they are there to this day.
Joshua 4:9 (NIV)
There is something about the act of remembering that we are designed for. Remembering celebrations like birthdays and weddings. Remembering losses of loved ones. Remembering significant decisions like moving into our first apartment or accepting a sought-after job. Remembering the faithfulness of God through the good times and the difficult ones. It helps center us – center our hearts and minds – on the steadfastness of our God over long stretches of time.
Once again I’ll go over what God has done,
lay out on the table the ancient wonders;
I’ll ponder all the things you’ve accomplished,
and give a long, loving look at your acts.
Psalm 77:11-12 (MSG)
We can be tempted, specifically on difficult days, to forget. Grandma Crause used to say that she leaked; after all her years of life her mind could only hold so much, so something had to leak out for something new to take place there. Funny and true! Without intentionally pausing to remember how God has worked on our behalf, those memories can leak out and leave us feeling forgotten or afraid. And the enemy of our souls delights in our feelings of abandonment.
“They will fight against you, but they will not overcome you,
for I am with you to deliver you,” declares the Lord.
Jeremiah 1:19
Our God is with us. Always. Pausing to remember – perhaps even having a physical reminder of his faithfulness like Joshua’s twelve stones – helps us recall the truth, defeat the lies, and build faith in generations of those who follow ours. Let me encourage you to catch that leak. Take a moment in the next few days and ask the Lord to bring to memory the many ways he has been faithful to you. Write them down – the big and the small – and thank our Father for his goodness. Consider finding a tangible way to display his goodness – frame the list, place a single stone on your mantle, wear a special necklace – it doesn’t have to be big or expensive. Just something that, with one glance, will draw you into the truth of God’s whisper…
You are adored.
You Are Adored 