Remembering God’s Blessings

Psalm 77: 11-12 “I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds”

These words from Psalm encourage us to remember the mighty deeds of God. Meditating on all that God has done seems like a wise thing to do. But if you read the beginning verses of this chapter, you’ll see the reasoning behind the urgency. When the psalmist penned these words, he was in distress. In fact, in verse 2 he says this: “…my soul refused to be comforted.” He goes on to explain that his spirit feels faint and that he’s too troubled to even speak.

But here’s the crucial turning point. Don’t miss this! Instead of wallowing in his turmoil and focusing on his despair, he chooses something else. He decides to focus on the goodness of God in days past. He fixes his heart on the miracles and mighty deeds of his Lord. He remembers how God redeemed his people. And he doesn’t just briefly mention this in these two verses. If you keep reading, he dedicates the entire next chapter(Psalm 78) to recalling in detail all the wondrous acts of God.

So what exactly does this mean for us? I think it’s powerful insight for us to notice that he wrote these things down. He didn’t just tuck them somewhere in the back of his mind. He intentionally wrote them down! By the time he gets to the end of Psalm 78, his focus is no longer on himself but is on the goodness of God.

What if we followed his example? What if we too decided to record the deeds of God in our own lives?

Our family started what we call a blessing journal several years ago. We began writing down answered prayers. We also recorded any blessings–especially the unexpected ones–in this journal. Some days we would simply write down things we were thankful for. Over the years, those once blank pages began to fill up with powerful testimony of God’s provision for our family.

But do you know when our blessing journal became most powerful? It became most powerful when our family was walking through difficult trials. Trials when we were discouraged, in distress and in need of comfort. Sound familiar to the words of our writer in Psalm 77?

Something amazing happened when we would pull out that blessing journal. We would read back through the pages of times when God provided, blessed and comforted us. We were reminded of his faithfulness, goodness and his ultimate sovereignty. Reading through the journal didn’t change our current circumstances, but it changed our perspective. 

One specific time that still strikes me  is when my husband was in a season of  disappointment. He was feeling quite discouraged and doubtful. I pulled out our blessing journal and turned back to pages which described God’s provision for our family in a previous difficult season. After reading those pages and remembering God’s faithfulness, my husband’s spirit was lifted!

And just like the writer of Psalm 77 and 78, the reminder of God’s faithfulness changes our perspective and redirects our focus.

Recording God’s blessings in a journal not only reminds us of his faithfulness, but it can be a powerful tool for our children.

We would let our children record their own answered prayers in the family journal. An answered prayer for a lost pet to come back home and success on a difficult test at school were recorded in their own handwriting. And there have been many times my daughter has read through our journal of God’s faithfulness in the years before she was even born. One day she asked me this profound question: “Mom, one day when I’m older, will you give this journal to me to keep?”

That moment really hit me hard! In a sense I believe she was asking permission to hold on to our family’s journey of God’s provision for a future time when we will no longer be here. What a legacy to leave her! A written testimony of God’s goodness. Things she would forget at some point if they were not written down.

I challenge you today to do the same thing we have done. Begin recording the prayers God has answered. Write down in ink the blessings He’s showered upon you. Date them so you know exactly when God intervened.

It may not seem like a big deal to do this when all is well in your world. But I promise you this: your written stories of God’s provision will leap off the page and pour strength and hope into your heart during your weary days of distress. Do it for your sake. Do it for your children’s sake. And above all, do it to bring honor and glory to the one who deserves it most…your faithful God!

Psalm 77: 11-12 “I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.”

Leave a comment and give me your feedback to let me know how you’re doing on starting your own blessing journal.

Blessings to you!

Lisa Preuett

http://www.reststopforthesoul.com