Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
Morning friends! Welcome to another brisk day of falling leaves, changing seasons, changing weather and joy of thankfulness that this month should be filled with! Every November should always be filled with gratitude, sharing, blessings, empathy toward others and especially to those with less than each of us. On today’s topic, we are going to touch on our memories and how they are vital to our lives in the most profound ways! Of course, there are many memories that we would like to never let darken our minds because they bring hurt, pain, and negativity to our present state of a positive life! Those memories are the ones that brought lessons, helped shape identities, mold our worship habits, increased our faith; not to mention how they serve as a testimony to God’s faithfulness to us. God does not want us to dwell on the past pains, or struggles, but hold the learning we obtained from them. He does want us to hold on to the positive and happy memories that helped mold us in positive ways, helped give us hope, built our trust in Him. This should be another reason we use our memory skills to study and memorize God’s scriptures so that we can use them daily; not only as an aid in our growth but as a tool to help others learn of God and His saving power! While studying scriptures, we learn that they repeatedly command believers to not forget what God has done all throughout history. Every deliverance of His people from harm, from destruction; all was because He gave grace and mercy. By remembering these, we in the present, can fight against despair, build stronger hope, and increase our trust in God! The voice of those who wrote the events of the crucifixion and resurrection enabled us to see in the present what Christ endured so that we might have everlasting life and a promise of eternity with Him! Those key memories served a purpose for all mankind! There is also the problem of dwelling on bitterness within memories. When we take to heart those pains, we are letting it poison our hearts which becomes a sin. We as believers need to forgive those past memories for our benefit, not the persecutor’s! Rev. Billy Graham taught that when we draw upon biblical principles we can model God’s grace and can forgive others with divine help; which, in turn, will cast out destructive memories so they will not “fester”! The true way to correct those memories, is to replace the lens of hurt with God’s lens of love! As a believer, you are a treasured child of God, your past does not define you; but a future with God empowers you! Get into the word and find just how much God has done, and keep those memories, then share them, so others can know the true and loving Savior! Remember, all your memories really do serve a purpose, and God can help you to learn how to use them to your advantage and His!
Scriptures:
Read: Psalms 77:11-12, Ephesians 2:10, Lamentations 3:21-23, Luke 2:19, Philippians 1:3-6, Psalms 139:15-18, John 14:26-27, Luke 22:19, Proverbs 10:7, Hebrews 13:6-8, Isaiah 6:8-9, Philippians 4:8, Deuteronomy 5:15, Deuteronomy 8:2, Psalms 105:1-10, Psalms 103:1-22, Psalms 145:5-12, Psalms 111:4, Jeremiah 29:11
Prayer:
Dear God, we come now thanking you for all the memories; for the good ones as well as the bad ones. We thank you, God, for your grace and mercy that you have given so that we can learn how to adjust and endure those pains, sorrows, and negative memories so that our good ones can gain control and push the negative away. Thank you, God, for every memory your people have shared in your word so that we can have knowledge and memory of all that you have done throughout time for the love of your people. Please, God, go with us now and daily as we use our good memories to reach out as a testimony to others so that they will want to trust in you also. Amen.