1 Chronicles 16:11-12 (NLT): Search for the Lord and His strength; continually seek Him. Remember the wonders He has performed, His miracles, and the rulings He has given.
Last month, I went out to dinner with a good friend of mine. As usual, the dinner turned spiritual very quickly. She began to tell me some things she has been struggling with recently. One thing she said was, "I know God has done a lot for me, but sometimes, when I am angry about all the terrible stuff going on in my life, I just forget." At that, I pulled out something from my purse: a folded, crumpled, piece of paper and showed it to her. I told her, "This is a note I wrote to myself. I take everywhere with me. It is a list of all the things God has done for me. I have answered prayers on here, times when I knew God was speaking to me, and gifts that He has given me that I have no doubt were from Him. I keep it in my purse to remind me that God is good."
David commands us in 1 Chronicles 16:11-12 to "Search for the Lord," "Continually seek Him," and "Remember" Him. You see, Dear Reader, people have a tendency to forget the goodness of God. We forget that He protected us just yesterday when we felt unsafe in that creepy parking lot, because we now feel unsafe driving on snowy roads. We forget that God answered an important prayer only a week ago, because we currently feel like our new prayer isn't being answered. We forget the time when God supplied us with money when our car broke down last year, because we currently feel helpless about a new financial situation. But here's the thing, God is greater than our problems. He can heal the sick and make dry bones walk. And yet, we choose to forget His power, goodness, and glory because we are too blindsided about a current problem we now face. We are all guilty of it, me included. That is why I decided a year ago to write down everything I could remember about the goodness of God. It has often brought me comfort when I choose to forget about how good God has been to me.
I challenge you to do an exercise that helps you remember all the things God has done for you in the year 2019. Perhaps it is writing them down like I did. Perhaps it is re-reading Scriptures that brought you comfort this year. Perhaps it is surrendering your current problem fully to God because you remember that He took care of you before. Perhaps it is listing everything you are thankful for, or sitting outside and enjoying God's beauty while giving thanks. Whatever it is, never forget that God is bigger than your problems. He can and will take care of you, just as he did before and will continue to do in the future.