08.29.2008
Philippians 1:6
… he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Psalm 106:21, 43-45 (really you should read the whole Psalm!)
[The Israelites] forgot the God who saved them, who had done great things in Egypt, miracles in the land of Ham and awesome deeds by the Red Sea. ... Many times he delivered them, but they were bent on rebellion and wasted away in their sin. But he took note of their distress when he heard their cry; for their sake he remembered his covenant and out of his great love he relented.
Hello,
I just want to start off by saying that God is an awesome God and the amount of patience He has with astounds me. I hope that you find this especially true in your own life and have been able to see where God is stretching and challenging you (in good ways, even if it doesn’t really feel good).
Ever had a moment where God totally blew you away, revealed something to you, or made it obvious that He’s got everything taken care of? Ever find yourself remembering that moment later on and saying, “Oh yeah, God did THAT. How in the world did I forget that?” The story of the Israelites has been a running theme for this week for me. If you’re familiar with the stories from the Old Testament, there’s a recurring problem that the people of God have: forgetfulness. Time and again, they saw the Lord’s miracles (and plagues) and the power He displayed before their very eyes. When they were in the desert for forty years, they followed God as a cloud by day and a pillar of fire at night! And yet there were plenty of times when they would forget what God had done for them in Egypt and even pined for how “good” they had it in a land in which they were slaves. I can read this and think, “How could they forget,” but when I look at my own life I know I’ve done the same thing. I’ve seen God work things out and yet I still worry about tomorrow. There are lots of examples.... It’s like I wake up in the morning and I need to be refreshed about what God did the day before!
This is why God’s patience is just phenomenal. How good for Him to bear with us when we continue to wrestle and continue to forget what He’s done! If it were me, I’d get frustrated and give up on whoever is frustrating me day in and day out. But because of the blood of Christ, God is not like this towards us. He is completely patient – and even more than this, He even sent the Holy Spirit to work in each of us to help us overcome our faults. Talk about going the extra mile. Praise God.
So in light of all of this, I pray that you are encouraged as I have been by God reminding me not only about what He’s done in my life but also by reminding me that He’s still with me even when I feel like I’m screwing up.
In love and in Him,
Your sister,
Yvonne