RECALLING GOD’S PAST TO STRENGTHEN YOU IN TIMES OF TROUBLE
I REMEMBER YOU!
A late night, sitting with a young believer, my mouth dry, and difficulty speaking, “But God…” was so kind bringing back stories to my mind to share with him of God’s goodness and faithfulness amidst testing time. He has shared stories also of His faithfulness in real difficult times. I reminded him that when difficult times come, we need to ask Him to help us REMEMBER – to call to mind- what He had done in the past and in recounting, to be strengthened for the present trial. We each have His Word which is solid, and the foundation for our faith. It will never change. It contains promises from God. It strengthens our faith, as faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. {Rom 10:17}. We also have been GIFTED a HIS-STORY with us. We have a history, to look back on and trace His love in our lives. His kindness, His provisions, His Word in season hat met us just where we were at. We can look back and REMEMBER How GOOD He has been to us. The psalmist said, “GOODNESS and Mercy shall follow {pursue} me, all the days of my life.”- {Psalm 23:6 }. When he too looked back in his life he saw the “goodness and mercy” of the LORD, following him. We can look back and REMEMBER How GOOD God has been to us!
I REMEMBER YOU! I shared with him in Psalm 13- dear David, on the run from Saul, hounded like an animal, he was so tired and weary, that 4 times in two verses he asks,” How long O Lord,…how long…how long…how long?” The length of the trial was wearying and he wanted to know when will it stop! How long more is this going to go on LORD? And in the trial he came to two conclusions about the LORD…
1. The LORD had- Forgotten him…
2. The LORD had – Abandoned him…
These were the two conclusions he had come to, and I am sure to him, at the time they seemed “reasonable,” what other reasons could there be for Him to allow these trials to go on and on and on and on… and so he concludes,- He has Forgotten me, He has Abandoned me! What other thing could it be? Why would He allow this trial to continue on and on, “How Long O LORD, How long…”
NOTE; THE LORD did not correct him over his wrong concepts concerning Him. Nothing is said!
v 3 – David PRAYS…
* It was after he had turned to the LORD in prayer… that he had clarity of vision, the view was clearer for him… “Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; Enlighten my eyes,…” {V3}
What happened? From thinking he had been forgotten and abandoned by the LORD to singing of HIS GOODNESS to him?- {v6}
- – He REMEMBERED the CHARACTER of the LORD -{V4-5}
* Your Loving-Kindness
* You Salvation
And He ACTED upon what He knew of Him;
“But I have TRUSTED in Your loving-kindness;
My heart shall REJOICE in Your salvation.”
* His faith and joy was placed in the Loving-kindness of the Lord and His Salvation.
HE REMEMBERED the TRUTH about the LORD and He meditated and ACTED upon what he knew to be TRUE of HIM.
* Feed your mind on the TRUTH of His Character. A Good study is Read Psalm 119- it’s the longest chapter in the Bible and it is in the Middle of the Bible- and it is broken into a few verses in each section. Many years ago after spending over 15 months in bed, I began to daily read one of those portions regarding the Word of God- what the Psalmist teaches about it and the CHARACTER OF THE LORD. I would read it and used it as a springboard to warm my heart and stir it up, before I studied whatever topic or message I was working on. You perhaps could read such a portion and underline what it says about His Word, and what it says about His character. Hide a verse in your heart a week…. and the Holy Spirit can recall so you can REMEMBER and MEDITATE and ACT upon the TRUTH, you have hid in your heart. REMEMBER- MEDITATE- ACT- REJOICE.
- – He REMEMBERED- The GOODNESS of the LORD to him… and it caused him to SING TO THE LORD
“I will sing to the Lord,
BECAUSE He has dealt BOUNTIFULLY {GOOD} with me.” – {v 6}
God gives a SONG amidst the Sorrows!
* David had wrong concepts about God and came to wrong conclusions.
* David believed he would die unless God intervened {v4-5}
* David Prayed.
* David TRUSTED in what he knew of the Character of the LORD and he REMEMBERED HIS -Loving-kindness
* My heart WILL Rejoice in Your Salvation.”
* What He knew about the LORD- He TRUSTED and he REJOICED.
You may not know all about the Lord, none of us do, but what we do know- let those truths, be where we place our anchor of hope in- TRUST in and REJOICE in
* Ask the LORD to REMIND you- to bring back to your REMEMBRANCE of how GOOD HE has been to you as “fuel,” to ignite the song of Gratitude!
“I WILL SING TO THE LORD BECAUSE –
…HE HAS DEALTH BOUNTIFULLY WITH ME.”
As I shared with the young man, story after story came back to my mind, of ways He had provided… and stories I had long forgotten, “BUT GOD…” He can bring to our REMEMBRANCE of how Bountifully- Good He has shown Himself to us… and before you know it, you have reason to SING TO THE LORD…
The stories of His provisions came back to my mind, and both the young man and I were encouraged by REMEMBERING THE WORK OF THE LORD, as we each REMEMBERED and SHARED – THE GOODNESS OF THE LORD to us. What each story had in common was trials, been in between a rock and a hard place. Real life difficulties, “BUT GOD…” met us, and showed us Himself. The first 4 letters in Testimony are T-E-S-T. A T-E-S-T precedes every Testimony!
It was wonderful to listen to How God had shown HIMSELF to this young brother in some truly difficult and trying times. My heart was lifted as I listened to what God had done. We shared and we REMEMBERED- He brought back stories of His GOODNESS to us. And we could each say,- I REMEMBER HIM.
You may be in a dark and difficult place, not seeing Him for who He truly is, doubts arise, accusations are made to you against HIM- “Perhaps He has forgotten you? What else could explain His “delay,” in meeting you in this trial?”….”Perhaps He has abandoned you? Maybe He is done with you? Maybe He has just had enough of you- and He has left you?” And so the LIES come to your mind to malign Him in your trial, and you see no end to your trial, it has gone on way too long, way past the time you would have allotted for it, if you had been in charge of the length of your testing trial, and as it goes on, Like David… you wonder, – “How Long O LORD, HOW LONG…?”
GO TO HIM IN PRAYER;
* TRUST HIM for what you Know is true of Him- His Loving-kindness
* Rejoice in His Salvation
* Ask Him to REMIND you SPECIFICALLY of HOW HE HAS SHOWN YOU HIS GOODNESS- BOUNTIFUL GOODNESS- to you over and over. Let it be the springboard to a SONG in your HEART to Him.
* GOD GIVES A SONG AMIDST THE SORROWS.
David begins the psalm in turmoil, and questionings and false concepts and conclusions due to the length of the trial… But there is a shift in the tone, the background is still bleak, he speaks of enemies and dying…but after he PRAYS, He REMEMBERS TRUTH about the CHARACTER OF GOD, namely- His Loving-kindness and His Salvation… he ends it with TRUST… REJOICING… and SONG… as he recalls the character of God and the GOODNESS of God… and…. there have been times when I have had no song in my heart, beat down, exhausted, pain sapping and sapping energy out of me, weariness to the bone and exhaustion, has overtaken, and I have asked Him, “LORD PLEASE REMIND ME- of How You have been Good to me… and give me a Song in my Heart to Sing to You…” and He has, because He is Faithful…. and despite my false concepts of Him or wrong conclusions it does not stop Him from being who He is- Loving-kindness and Salvation and Good!… and so as He brought to memory of how He had met me for so many years, and I shared with the young believer…. my own heart later on, sat back and I recalled again and it seemed like a movie- a reel, into the dealings of God with me in my younger years of knowing Him… they were some hard times, testing times, but I can look back and see Him, trace Him, and see His GOODNESS to me and mine…and sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee, How great Thou Art… ”
To Him I can say, “I R-E-M-E-M-B-E-R YOU!”
And so with the stories of His Goodness coming back to me…and in amazement at some of the things He did…. I could say, “I REMEMBER YOU…” And as we remember Him how He met us, it encourages us to strengthen us for the present trial… “I REMEMBER YOU!” –
* I will TRUST in Your Loving-kindness;
* I Will REJOICE in Your Salvation;
* I WILL SING TO THE LORD BECAUSE…. HE HAS DEALTH BOUNTIFFULLY WITH ME!
David sang amidst his troubles, lengthy trial. Nothing in the psalm showed that externally things had changed. But a Change had taken place within him- when he had REMEMBERED what was true of the LORD and how good the LORD had been to him…. praise burst forth, faith was birthed, and a song of gratitude upon remembrance of the GOODNESS of the LORD to Him
Psalm 13
1. – The Problem- v1-2
2. – The Prayer – v 3
3. – The Praise- v 4-6
Daylight is near- and no sleep, but I am thankful and indeed shocked as I looked back and see how He met in wondrous ways, that I had forgot about. But it was good of Him to remind me of what HE had done… how good He has been… and it humbles me, amazes me, and yet how prone to forget I am. “BUT GOD…” He is able to bring to remembrance, this is another show of His kindness and GOODNESS to me, and you. We thank Him we can remember and be able to say of Him and His dealings with us…
I REMEMBER YOU.
LORD, Please Remind me of Yourself as I am Prone to forget. Help me to REMEMBER Your character, TRUST in Your LOVINGKINDNESS; REJOICE in Your SALVATION and SING to You, BECAUSE of How GOOD You have been to me over and over and over. Thank You, for Who You Are and How Good You have been to me.
I REMEMBER YOU…
WHAT IS IT YOU CAN REMEMBER OF HIM IN YOUR LIFE?
- – Having trouble remembering? No problem. Ask Him to Remind you, and He will-AND may You SING TO HIM BECAUSE He has been good to you.
- – Write Down in a line, or sentence or paragraph what you REMEMBER of His Provisions of goodness in meeting you in the past. When you are going through a new test, then pull the paper out with your record of His past GOODNESS to you and Praise Him and Sing to Him a song of gratitude and allow His PAST DEALINGS of Goodness be a springboard for your faith, to trust Him in the storm, in the hard place, knowing as He was then He is the same now- Faithful an True!
- -“Count your many blessings name them one by one, count your many blessings see what GOD HAS DONE
Paul calls us to TRAIN our THINKING on “the future glory” that awaits us, where we will see Christ and be with Him, eternally! It is only ” light afflictions,” when it is compared to eternity!
* Pain is temporal. Eternity is forever!
* One has a time limit, the other is Timeless!
* Training to Think On The Future Hope of- Future Glory
* Future Hope of – Being With Christ Forever!
* Future Hope of – In His Presence Is Fullness of Joy
* Future Hope of – No More Pain
* Future Hope of – At His Right Hand Are Pleasure’s Forever More
Think on things above where Christ is seated – (Col 3:1-3)