These Things
The faithfulness of God is heavy on my heart tonight. I
really should be sleeping, but instead my heart and mind are overwhelmed with
thankfulness.
“But Mary treasured up all
these things and pondered them in her heart.”- Luke 2:19
What are the “these things” in your life that you are
thankful for? What are are some "these things" you need to treasure up and/or ponder in your heart? What are some areas, seasons, situations, moments where you have
experienced the blessings, faithfulness, favor and grace of God?
Just a few nights ago I was praying and just thanking God
for his grace, and I sensed the Lord speak into my heart, “I Am Grace!” Mind
blowing moment! God doesn’t just give grace, mercy and love. He is Grace, Mercy
and Love.
So take a moment and just be still—and just take in the
goodness of God.
“Be careful to obey all the commands I am giving you today. Then you will live and multiply, and you will enter and occupy the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors. Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands. Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. For all these forty years your clothes didn’t wear out, and your feet didn’t blister or swell. Think about it: Just as a parent disciplines a child, the Lord your God disciplines you for your own good.
“So obey the commands of the Lord
your God by walking in his ways and fearing him. For
the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land of flowing streams and pools
of water, with fountains and springs that gush out in the valleys and hills. It
is a land of wheat and barley; of grapevines, fig trees, and pomegranates; of olive
oil and honey. It is a land where food is plentiful and nothing is lacking. It
is a land where iron is as common as stone, and copper is abundant in the
hills. When you have eaten
your fill, be sure to praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given
you.
“But that is the time to be
careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and
disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today. For
when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in, and
when your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have
multiplied along with everything else, be careful! Do not become proud at that
time and forget the Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery in the land of
Egypt. Do not forget that he led you through the great and terrifying
wilderness with its poisonous snakes and scorpions, where it was so hot and
dry. He gave you water from the rock! He fed you with manna in the wilderness,
a food unknown to your ancestors. He did this to humble you and test you for
your own good. He did all this so you would never say to yourself, ‘I have
achieved this wealth with my own strength and energy.’ Remember the Lord your
God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill
the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath.
“But I assure you
of this: If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods, worshiping
and bowing down to them, you will certainly be destroyed. Just as the Lord has
destroyed other nations in your path, you also will be destroyed if you refuse
to obey the Lord your God.” –Deu. Chapter 8
Don’t forget to
remember the whole way the Lord your God has brought you. Treasure up all "these things" in your heart and pounder them. Remember the awful and the awesome because they both provoke awe! Remember the whole way lest your forget and perish.
Resource:
“Don’t forget to remember” message by Beth Moore
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