It’s Christmas Eve Eve and I am just now writing my beginning of the month blog. I would love to say it was because finals were stressful, or I went to New York City on vacation, or Christmas shopping and spending time with family has taken up every second of my day for the entire past three weeks. Or even a simple “I forgot I wrote a blog”. But in fact none of those things were true. I haven’t written, not because I forgot about the blog, but I seemed to have forgotten about my Father. Not that he wasn’t there, but forgot that his character remains true, constant and ever faithful. I just couldn’t really see much that I had learned or ways I had experienced him. Nothing seemingly “worthy” of a blog post. (such small, putting God in a box thinking- but oh so honest)
Because when I started this monthly blog I deemed it to be a reflection every month on the Lord’s faithfulness in teaching and growing me in my faith. A way of debriefing and praising my loving Savior. An outlet to show just one of the many ways I had experienced him in the last thirty days of my journey. And this month- I seemed to forget. I couldn’t see what I was learning or what the Lord was doing. Forgetting that finals week was graced with a peace ONLY from the Lord. Forgetting that my family loves me endlessly and loves Jesus even more. Forgetting when the Lord answered a prayer I so deeply prayed for. Forgetting that I have such a deeply rooted community in a place I have only lived for a year. The list goes on and on. Something about humans in our sinfulness that seems to give us short term memory loss in regards to our faith journey. But what a reminder the Bible brought me today. The Word has story after story about God’s people being forgetful. Regarding forgetfulness, Psalm 78 resonated so deeply with me. Talking about the Lord and the Israelites, Asaph wrote: “He remembered that they were but flesh, a passing breeze that does not return. How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness and grieved him in the wasteland! Again and again they put God to the test; they vexed the Holy One of Israel. They did not remember his power-- the day he redeemed them from the oppressor, the day he displayed his signs in Egypt, his wonders in the region of Zoan.” –Psalm 78:39-43 Wow, wow, wow. I could be an Israelite. I just kept rereading this part of the Psalms as a list of all the “Egypts” the Lord brought me from in just this month seemed to replay in my head. The Lord saving them from their enemies time after time, and yet “they did not remember his power.” Has that not been me this December? So distracted, so prideful, so unfocused. But how could I just forget? Remembering is hard. There is an enemy out there working tirelessly to throw things our way just to make sure we forget. But good thing we have an all-knowing Father above that loves us and is fighting for us. A father that knows we forget and gave us the Holy Spirit to help us remember. John 14:26 tells us “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” Our sin causes a problem; our Perfect Abba Father gives us the answer. So friends, in knowing our forgetfulness may we be more attuned to the Holy Spirit as he reminds us. As he reminds us of the Lord’s steady character. As he reminds us of the cross and the grace given to us. A gift Christ showers on us anew daily whether we remember or not. May the Spirit remind us as the “most wonderful time of the year” continues, to look upon the manger and remember. Remember the humility of Christ our King coming to earth to take our sin and shame away so we may spend eternity in heaven. What a story worth remembering. What a story worth living by. Jesus, remind me. Remind your people. May we all be able to sing this praise this December: “I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.” Psalm 77:11-12
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AuthorI LOVE JESUS, GRACE, PEOPLE, PUNS, TRAVEL, ADVENTURE AND THE FLORIDA GATAS Archives
October 2016
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