We are always on the go, bombarded by the immediate needs of our daily life that we do not take the time to sit still and look back at our life. When I look back at my life, I see so many instances of God’s goodness and faithfulness. When I stop long enough to remember what God has brought me through, the difficulties I have overcome, it was not because I was strong but because of his grace and faithfulness. I see that throughout my days God has been by my side always strengthening me, always providing for my needs, always comforting me and always leading me. The mistakes that I have made in life were never because of a lack of God’s leading in my life but rather it was because of leaning on my own understanding and not heeding his word or the nudge in my heart telling me to take the higher road.
I have been doing a lot of looking back and reminiscing about my past victories and even failures. How God has never let me down. How God has always been so near, just a prayer away! How God carried me through my storm. How he held my hand and kept me strong. How he comforted me through my heartbreaks. What an awesome God he is, what a wonderful God we truly serve. God is a loving father to his children. As a loving father, he provides, loves, comforts, leads, teaches and disciples his children. I have experienced all these – his loving, comforting, leading, teaching and also disciplining. No one likes to be admonished or disciplined but it is a part of being a child. A father disciplines his children out of love.
God’s disciplining is like pruning. As a farmer prunes a fruit bearing tree to bear even more fruit, in like manner God disciplines us so we could bear more fruit in our life. He disciplines us so we could grow into our full potential of who he created us to be. It is an integral part of his love for us for he wants nothing short of the best for his children. And the best for each one of us is to grow into the person God created us to be and to realize our purpose in life. I testify to God’s goodness even through his disciplining for it has allowed me to grow into maturity. I know I have a lot to learn and a lot of growing to do so I do anticipate some more disciplining along the way.
Storms are such an integral part of life just as they are of the weather system. As I’ve heard one preacher say one time, you are either coming out of a storm or going through a storm or will go through one somewhere down your path for storms are a part of life. It is absolutely true! Well, it is in the stormy times of my life that I have grown the most and have gotten closer to my maker. I have witnessed God’s absolute faithfulness going through my storms for I was never forsaken or alone. I felt God’s presence calming my heart as I went through the most trying times of my life. My God is my rock. He is a sure foundation that I stand on regardless of what I am going through.
So today, I offer up to him my gratitude for all the times he has rescued me, for all the times he has comforted me; for all the times he has loved me through my pain and for all the times he had carried me on his back. My Lord, my God, my savior, he is dearer than life itself to me. He is the air I breathe. He is truly my source of life. He is my strength and hope. And I know that the God who has been there through all my ups and downs in the past will not leave me nor forsake me so when I look out to my future, my confidence is not in the economy or my abilities or what is happening around me but my confidence rests in him alone. He has seen all my tomorrows and I know can trust him for he has proven himself to be trustworthy.
I encourage you to take some time today to do a little remembering, a little reminiscing. Remember God’s goodness, his faithfulness and enduring love. Let your heart sing a song of thanksgiving. I submit to you that regardless of where you are on your path today, if you look back at all your answered prayers, you will be encouraged and lifted up. Your joy will be overflowing and your hope will be alive for you know that God has not left your side. If you are in need, just call upon him……he is just a prayer away. You are never without help and you are never alone. You are loved and cared for by your creator. God is your, mine, our present help.
Let’s remember today!
