Sometimes we are afraid to look back in the past.
We tuck our bad memories away so that they don’t interfere with our future. We burry them because it’s too painful.
But if we look back boldly in search of God’s mighty hand in our lives our trust in Him will be renewed.
No matter how many times we have seen God’s faithfulness we tent to be forgetful. We need reminding - all the time.
The children of Israel struggled with the same thing.
They saw God showering ‘bread’ from the sky, being led by a cloud during the day and fire by night, and witnessing the sea separate and crossing over safely.
We wonder to ourselves, who forgets seeing an ocean split open?
But we do. All of us do.
We easily forget what He has done for us.
We forget that we have come through seas that He alone parted for us.
We forget that our storms may change but our God who brought us through is still the same.
That is why He instructed ways for Israel to ‘keep in remembrance’ the things which He had brought them through.
He instructed them to celebrate their feasts so they would remember.
After crossing them miraculously through the Jordan river and into the promise land He commanded them to place 12 large stones so that their children will always look at them and know what God had done for them.
Was it for Him?
No it was for them.
If they remembered they would face the future with more confidence knowing who their God is.
If they remembered they would avoid all the pain of going astray seeking false Gods.
If only they remembered… How much future suffering they would avoid.
Friends, looking back may feel daunting, but we don’t look back to live in the past.
We look back to remember His goodness.
We look back to remind ourselves that He is trustworthy.
We look back to strengthen our trust and renew our hope.
What will twelves stones be this year?
“Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me.” - Psalm