Daily Meditations for Lent 2006

Mar. 22 - Wednesday

Deuteronomy 4:1,5-9

Readings

On the brink of the Promised Land, Moses exhorted the Israelites to remember. Over and over, he told them to pay attention to what God had done—how he had delivered them from slavery in Egypt, protected them in the wilderness, and provided for them throughout their forty-year journey. For Moses, this exhortation was not meant to stir nostalgia among the people. He wanted them to remember their past so that they would make good decisions in the future.
When we remember our experiences of God, we relive those moments. We allow the grace and power of those moments to strengthen us and revitalize us. We allow them to build our faith and reinforce the knowledge that we can trust and lean on God.

Our experiences with God can also help us to stand firm during those times when God seems distant. In those seasons when we cannot as readily perceive God’s presence, or when we are struggling with powerful temptations, we can lean on our memories of God’s faithfulness and trust that he will not desert us. We can recall the times when we have experienced his tender mercy and felt his healing strength. Over time, our memories will transform us and build us up.

Like the Israelites facing new challenges in the Promised Land, our memories of God’s work in our lives can help guide us toward sound decisions. By looking at past situations in which we saw God helping us, we can find answers to present challenges—answers that incorporate godly grace into our human reasoning.

Each and every time God works in us, he does far more than rescue us from a difficult situation or give us his comfort. He also gives us another glimpse into who he is. He reveals his constancy, his faithfulness, his mercy, his power, and his glory. It is these truths that God wants to become the foundation for our lives. So take some time today to recall how God has worked in you. What has God shown you about himself? Write these down, and let them become the foundation of your faith and trust in a loving Father.

“Lord, you have shown me that you are faithful and true. You have poured your mercy and love into my heart. I praise you and thank you for what you have done in my life.”

posted by Thomas Cagurangan @ 8:54 PM