Don’t Forget

One of the main reasons people today, including believers, seem to lack joy is because they simply forget. They forget all the things they’ve overcome and the valleys they’ve left behind. They forget the hardships they’ve conquered and the God who was with them through all kinds of trouble. They become so fixated on the now. Their current problems, their dilemmas and struggles, that they forget Who is protecting them. Oftentimes we feel like nothing extraordinary is happening to us; a lot of life unfolds in the mundane, in the minutiae of everyday life. The truth is, most times, we’re just getting through each day trying to do our best to please God and life isn’t as miraculous and exciting as we’d expect. In times like these, we may feel as though God doesn’t hear us anymore or that He isn’t working in our lives. This is a terrible lie that’s fashioned specifically to steal your joy and keep you stagnated. Sometimes we forget to be grateful for the ability to just see and appreciate our surroundings. We become so used to all the blessings we have that we become impatient for more. When we stop appreciating God for who He is and begin to complain about what we don’t have, we sadden Him immensely. This is really frightening because it raises the question: “Are you following God because of who He is or because of what He can give you?”

I know firsthand that sometimes life isn’t exciting, sometimes it just feels like you’re living the same day on repeat, over and over and it’s easy to slip into a negative mindset. To wallow in self-pity and sadness is simple, it doesn’t require any effort, you just give in to it right? When our circumstances seem bleak and life is dull it’s easy to lose our joy. We dwell so much on what’s wrong in our lives, how things aren’t changing and our lives aren’t as interesting as other people’s are. When we become so wrapped up in ourselves that all we seem to see is our own sorrow, we need to realise that we’ve become stuck. And that’s right where the enemy wants you. Stuck in sadness, in anger, in regret. Stuck so that you can’t move forward and you’re petrified in the position you’re in. We should never let any circumstance or situation get the best of us because our joy shouldn’t be coming from externalities anyway, it should originate from our Creator and our Best Friend. Proverbs 17:22 (NIV) says, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” We can become so self-absorbed and engulfed in our problems sometimes that we forget Who we have on our side.

No matter how strong in faith we are, we all get discouraged at some point or another and we begin to question ourselves and maybe even God. I know there’s been many a time when I’ve looked at my situation and wondered “Can I really do this? I don’t know if God can help me out of this one.” This is when it’s crucial to remember who God is. He’s Jehovah Nissi, our Banner, Jehovah Jireh, our Provider, El Shaddai our Supplier and so much more. We limit God within the constraints we create in our minds. When we focus on our problems and grumble about our lives, we prevent God from doing a good work in us and, consequently, we become increasingly bitter and angry. Instead, we need to switch it around. We have to remember when we had a seemingly insurmountable problem, a long-standing issue or an ingrained fear that was dissolved in the power and might of God. We have to remember that time He delivered us when we didn’t even ask Him and the time He saved us from a mistake we would have made. We should remember how He carried us when we reached the end of our strength and cried to Him for help - we should never forget about our God.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8 (NIV) If He did it before He can do it again and He’ll be sure to do it even better than the last time. He never changes, when you call He will answer. But first, you have to turn your eyes onto Him. Stop looking at the past or your current situation. Don’t intimidate yourself with the future, just keep your eyes on Him and believe He is for you. He will exceed your expectations and He’ll do it with His signature style. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from walking with God it’s that He’s so faithful. Just because you’re at a loss doesn’t mean He is. You need to trust Him enough to fall into His arms, knowing He will catch you and that you are safe. Believe the truth in Romans 8:28 (NIV) “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Just rest in His love and grace and you will see your joy quickly return, your situation turn around and the peace of God that transcends all understanding will undoubtedly be yours in Jesus’ name. Never forget what the LORD has done for you, He is absolutley capable of doing it again.