*SCAN THE BLOG... POST AND READ EXPERIENCES UNDER COMMENTS*
The Spiritual Discipline of Remembering:
...And God remembered...
I will remember my covenant...
...And Joseph remembered...
Do this in remembrance of me...
Deuteronomy 4:9 - “Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children's children—"
God has done so much for me. He has brought me so far (though the distance yet to be traveled is immeasurable). So why do I so often feel like the same adolescent Christian... why do I feel like I'm repeating the grade?
I was talking with a friend recently and God revealed to us some of Satan's schemes. We have both struggled with deep, mind-numbing fears related to death, and we realized that we couldn't place our fears on any exact object. We weren't afraid of pain, or hell, or anything like that. We were afraid of the abstract uncertainty. But what is that??!! It is an uncertainty... and we aren't even certain of what it is we are uncertain of... we found ourselves fearing fear itself. And why should fear be feared? Face it with courage, and it is nothing.
So we found that Satan revels in keeping our minds in the intangible abstract. THE DEVEL IS NOT IN THE DETAILS!!! he is in the grasping in the dark at slippery uncertain concepts. And if he can keep us there, we will not affect the tangible Kingdom of God that is here in power.
So what are the details that we need to remember in order to avoid Satan's strategy of the uncertain? It is so easy to forget. I believe that we need to develop a discipline of remembering experiences and lessons we have been given by God. If we can take time to intentionally decide to learn from these experiences, then the schemes of the shifty evil one will be fall to the firm details of God's active presence in our daily lives.
If Satan can get us to forget the lessons and experiences God has given us and keep us afraid or controlled by the uncertain abstract, then he can keep us at square one. We will forever wonder why we still feel like a Spiritual Adolescent... or Infant.
So let's begin our new spiritual discipline by playing the "Remember When" game here. I'll begin:
I remember when the Youth was traveling up to Dallas for YEC. We were considering canceling the trip on the day of because of flooding rains to the North. We decided to try to make it, and we gathered to pray. I felt a strong urge to pray that God would part the waters and let us drive on dry ground. But I was afraid... what if it didn't happen? What would people think about my faith. So I prayed a generic (abstract) prayer for safety out loud. We drove through on dry ground. I will forever remember God's lesson that day. I shared my fear with the youth and we praised God together. I pray that I will build on lessons like this and remember who I have been before God, who I am in God, and that I am pressing forward to new lessons and experiences with my risen, living Savior.
Please share a memory with us as a comment... what will you remember from your relationship with God today?
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Awesome. I can't tell you how good it is to hear this Nick. Thank You
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite memories with God happened recently as a matter of fact. I felt as if God had left me out to dry, i was asking him for help, and i felt like he just hadn't answered me. He wasn't telling me to wait, just nothing. The day after i had the worst of it, i went to church on sunday morning and a sermon Mark made "blew my mind". God spoke through Mark, to teach me something personally. I could tell from how Mark spoke that, that part wasn't planned or pre-meditated, i knew it was the Spirit guiding him for me.
Thank You Jesus.
I need to remember this, I need to remember this, I need to remember this.....
This is good stuff, reminds me of a Matt Chandler sermon...
ReplyDeleteThis isn't a big deal kinda, but to me it is. Recently my cat came back home beaten up really bad and without his collar, he couldn't walk and he didnt eat for a day or two. He was laying down in a blanket outside i put out for him because it was cold outside. Then when i went to go check up on him he wasn't there. I assumed he went to go hide, but he was missing for two days and a half. Most cats like to hide right before they die, so i thought he went to go lay down somewhere. I prayed to God that night for him to make it back and that even if he didn't come back, that i hope he is in a better place. That night i had a dream that he came back, the next morning i opened the door and he was meowing for food at the front door.
ReplyDelete