Just As He Did

“‘See, the Lord your God has set the land before you. Go up, take possession, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has told you. Do not fear or be dismayed… Do not be in dread or afraid of them. The Lord your God who goes before you will himself fight for you, just as he did for you in Egypt before your eyes, and in the wilderness, where you have seen how the Lord your God carried you, as a man carries his son, all the way that you went until you came to this place.’ Yet in spite of this word you did not believe the Lord your God.” Deuteronomy 1:21,29-32

Israel was a fickle people, faithful when they wanted to be, and wavering when fear loomed and circumstances were challenging. The faithless generation having died off through forty years of wilderness wandering, God’s people were on the brink of the promised land. His leader prepared them to enter and conquer in faith, recalling all He had done through the years. They knew His deeds, both first-hand and by the telling. Yet weak flesh won out over substance, and Moses called out their unbelief.

“Remember the former things of old;
for I am God, and there is no other;
    I am God, and there is none like me.” Isaiah 46:9

Just as the Lord has saved and carried us, He will continue. A wealth of examples in God’s Word tell of His wondrous deeds. We could never exhaust His works if we were to recount them from our own lives. At any command, we might assess our resources and muster our gumption to obey. Yet, when difficult situations arise, or temptation presents for quick solutions, we are still wont to waffle, and not take Him at His word.

What are we doing to store up a treasure trove of remembrances? How faithfully do we record God’s answers to prayer, His surprises? How deeply do we trust the God who has saved and gone before us? How effectively do we apply faith developed over time and times experiencing His sufficiency? Whom do we tell, and how do we pass along His works to the next generation? Circumstances will not shake those who believe that God continues just as He’s always done. (Psalm 37:5; 78:4; 103:2-13; 105:5)

“I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
    yes, I will remember your wonders of old.” Psalm 77:11

 “Great is thy faithfulness, O God, my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with thee.
Thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not;
As thou hast been, thou forever wilt be.

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine and ten thousand beside.

Great is thy faithfulness,
Great is thy faithfulness,
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed thy hand hast provided;
Great is thy faithfulness, 
Lord unto me.” ~ Thomas Chisholm (1923)

Lord, help me remember Your deeds, reckon Your truths, and live in vibrant faith in Your constancy and greatness.