"But then I recall all you have done, O Lord; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago. They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about Your mighty works." (Psalm 77:11 NLT)
YouVersion’s scripture of the day caught my heart when I first opened the app this morning. I’m sharing the New Living Translation because that last sentence convicts me: “I cannot stop thinking about Your mighty works.” The trouble is, I can. And I do. Forgive us, Lord, when we lose sight of You.
I can’t speak for everyone, but I need to spend more time celebrating God’s historic wins in my story. I tend to let today’s troubles eclipse the dramatic victories of the past. I forget what God has done, and then I scramble to assemble the faith required for today.
I’m still reading through the Pentateuch. For the last few days I’ve been perched on the last mountain in Moab, listening to Moses’ final instructions to his people. (All of Deuteronomy is a sermon; yet I get flack for preaching too long.) Over and over again, Moses reminded God’s people of the miraculous provision they’ve experienced. The pinnacle of God’s goodness toward them? The Red Sea parting. It’s the story that is brought up over and over again. This has to be intentional: God did this HUGE thing for His people and it proved His love and care for them. They could not afford to forget it. In fact, thousands of years later, the Passover and parting of the Red Sea is still an integral part of Jewish faith.
The reiteration of the Red Sea miracle made me think: what is my Red Sea story? Where was the impassible wall in my life and how did God get me through it? Do I recall it often enough to bolster my faith? I didn’t have to ponder it. I know precisely where the Lord parted the waters in my story. It’s not a testimony I’m ready to divulge just yet, but I know what God did and trust me when I say it was impossible apart from Him!
What about you, dear reader? What is your Red Sea? Where have you seen God move mightily in your narrative? How often do you recall His miraculous intervention in your life? Does this experience reframe your belief about what an Almighty God can accomplish? I encourage you today to recall the raging waters, name that moment, and revise the memory often. Let your Red Sea miracle remind You what God is capable of again today.
The Israelites had more than a few moments passing through high tide. They experienced the presence and power of God over and over again in their camp. Manna, quail and water from a rock fed them and kept their thirst quenched. They were led by a supernatural navigation system: a cloud by day and pillar of fire by night. They had felt divine discipline and they knew divine protection. Their entire wilderness experience was a wild ride of faith: miracle after miracle moved these folks through the desert.
I see a multitude in my own story, too. We may have that singular Red Sea moment, but we also have a hundred or more other encounters with an all-powerful God. I look back at my walk with the Lord and I see His hand on my life from the womb to today. The spina bifida in my back was mostly healed before I was born. I was gifted with a great name to grow into. The trauma I experienced as a child didn’t destroy me. I’ve been blessed with creativity and a calling. He brought me a beloved spouse at an early age, plucking me out of a difficult home life. He opened my womb, not once but twice. He carried me through a agonizing delivery with our son and a high-risk pregnancy with our daughter. He rescued my babies from scarlet fever and RSV. He supplied and sustained for three years of distance education as I sought my credentials. He stood with me through the diagnosis and death of my mother. He pulled my brother from the flames and gave him opportunity to experience salvation. He equipped me for the horrendous task of Dad’s estate. He has brought our children up and into early adulthood. This are just some of the victories I can recall in a few minutes of personal reflection.
When we take the time to retrieve the memories of God’s faithfulness, we find the fuel we need for our faith today. Invest a few moments right now: make a mental list. What miracles has God performed for you? How does that alter your perspective for the things in front of you right now?
"The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as He did for you in Egypt, before you very eyes, and in the wilderness. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place." (Deuteronomy 1:30-31 NIV)
God was with us, He is with us, and He will be with us. He carried us through to this point, we can trust Him to carry us a little farther. If you are struggling, recall your Red Sea miracle.
Lord, thank You for Your faithfulness to us. Like the Israelites, we struggle to remember. We get mired in today and lose sight of all the ways You have upheld us thus far. Forgive us. Prick our memories. Bring to mind all the ways You have sustained and succeeded. Stoke our confidence for the circumstances at hand. We trust in You. Amen.