5 Minute Read
TODAY’S BIBLE READING:
Deuteronomy 7:1–8:20
Luke 7:36–8:3
Psalm 69:1-18
Proverbs 12:1
TODAY’S BIBLE VERSE(S):
Deuteronomy 7:17-19 (CSB): “If you say to yourself, ‘These nations are greater than I; how can I drive them out?’ do not be afraid of them. Be sure to remember what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and all Egypt: the great trials that you saw, the signs and wonders, the strong hand and outstretched arm, by which the LORD your God brought you out. The LORD your God will do the same to all the peoples you fear.”
REFLECTIONS ON TODAY’S BIBLE VERSE(S):
Life is hard. The Bible and experience make that clear.
Matthew 6:34 (CSB): “Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Sometimes, life can get so hard that it threatens to swallow us up.
How do we survive, and possibly even thrive, during those times?
Well, for the Christian, our toolbox is full of resources to remain strong in times of difficulty. One of them is found in our Verses for Today.
Simply put, when life gets tough, remember how God helped you through previous difficulties.
Deuteronomy 7:17-19 (CSB): “If you say to yourself, ‘These nations are greater than I; how can I drive them out?’ do not be afraid of them. Be sure to remember what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and all Egypt: the great trials that you saw, the signs and wonders, the strong hand and outstretched arm, by which the LORD your God brought you out. The LORD your God will do the same to all the peoples you fear.”
Did you notice those words?
“Be sure to remember what the LORD your God did…”
That’s a huge help when life gets tough. When things seem uncertain, frightening, and you don’t know how you are going to survive the ordeal, “remember what the LORD your God did” in previous times of difficulty in your life.
When you think back on how God either 1) protected you from the negative consequences of trials or 2) allowed you to experience the negative consequences that helped you deepen your character and made you more like Jesus, you will be much more prone to have courage for the present trial.
A couple of ideas
Remembering what God has previously done in your life provides courage for the moment. But if you have a memory that is as bad as mine, you will need to do some things to help you remember.
1. Journal
I journaled off-and-on throughout my childhood and early adult years. Then, in my 30’s, I became much more serious about it … but still did so sporadically. Currently, I have been journaling every single day for the past 2-3 years. I document the events of my day as well as what is going on in my mind and heart.
The incredible(!) journaling resource that I use is called Journey (https://journey.cloud/). It is a cloud-based journaling app that I can access on my laptop, my mobile device (via Journey app), and anywhere that I can get online. It is encrypted so my fear of it ever being accessed is minimal.
It is in this journaling app that I have documented so much of what God has done in my life. I have documented the dark times and the wonderful times. I have written about what I was feeling, what my anxieties were … and then what God did to resolve it.
Important: My very own journal testifies to the fact that most the anxieties I had were a study in futility. My journal reveals over and over that much of what I worried about never happened. It also reveals how God worked some things out in a way that bordered the miraculous.
So, my journal has helped me to document what God has previously done in my life to give me courage and insight for the current difficulty.
2. Write a brief autobiography
A journal can get very lengthy fast! I am not using hyperbole when I say that my journal is massive.
I found it very helpful to write a summary of our life since I married my wife (https://mattsmusings.net/about/). Doing so allowed me to reflect on the highlights. It allowed me to remember the big stuff that happened, both good and bad.
And it allowed me to have a resource that made it much easier to remember what God has done in our life in order to give me courage and insight for the current difficulty.
Conclusion
I would really encourage you to either journal as frequently as possible or to take a few days to write out an autobiography. While it may seem like it is only adding one more thing to your daily, hectic schedule, it has long-term benefits as it helps you to remember what God has done in your life.
Deuteronomy 7:17-19 (CSB): “If you say to yourself, ‘These nations are greater than I; how can I drive them out?’ do not be afraid of them. Be sure to remember what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and all Egypt: the great trials that you saw, the signs and wonders, the strong hand and outstretched arm, by which the LORD your God brought you out. The LORD your God will do the same to all the peoples you fear.”
Matt’s Musings 