This past Sunday, we paused our study of Ecclesiastes for what we called CELEBRATION SUNDAY. If you missed it, you can watch the POWERFUL TETIMONIES that were shared here… WE REMEMBER.
Prior to those testimonies, we spent a few moments walking through Psalm 111... what a powerful Psalm!
”How amazing are the deeds of the LORD! All who delight in him should ponder them... He causes us to remember his wonderful works."
Psalm 111:2, 4 (NLT)
One of the things that the people of God do when the people of God gather is REMEMBER.
We REMEMBER…
God's faithfulness.
We REMEMBER…
His provision.
We REMEMBER…
His kindness.
We REMEMBER…
the ways God has worked in our lives.
And we REMEMBER…
the ways God has worked through our lives.
As I mentioned on Sunday, something not to be forgotten... therefore something to remember is this…
GOD IS ALWAYS AT WORK.
Sometimes His work is obvious. We can point to an answered prayer, a restored relationship, a new opportunity, or a clear blessing and say, "Look what God has done!"
And as we all know, there are other times when it's, shall we say, much harder to see His work.
We're still waiting.
We're still wondering.
We're still asking.
Whether we can see it or not, we must REMEMBER that...
GOD IS ALWAYS AT WORK.
That's why the Psalmist tells us to PONDER... such a good word!
To ponder means more than simply remembering that something happened. It means slowing down long enough to think deeply about it. To reflect on it. To consider what God was doing in the midst of it.
As we all know and have experienced, we live in a world that constantly pushes us to move faster.
One event leads to another.
One season gives way to the next.
And if we're not careful, we'll rush right past the faithfulness of God without ever stopping to recognize it.
The Psalmist says those who delight in God should PONDER His works.
WHY?
Because when we slow down and reflect on what God has done, we often begin to see things we missed while we were living through them.
You see… when we intentionally ponder the works of God, this is not just an exercise in nostalgia. PONDERING who God is and what God has done FUELS TRUST.
In other words… looking back helps us keep going… it gives us confidence to take the next step God has put in front of us.
But if I may, let me ask a HARD QUESTION...
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WHAT YOU REMEMBER ISN'T GOOD?
What happens when the memories that come to mind are the painful ones?
The betrayal.
The loss.
The disappointment.
The season you'd rather forget.
For many of us, those moments are a massive part of our story.
But thankfully, God's Word NEVER instructs the people of God to PRETEND that hard and hurtful things didn't happen.
Instead, God's Word CALLS the people of God to remember hard things... DIFFERENTLY.
As followers of Jesus, we don't just remember what happened to us…
We REMEMBER how God met us in it.
We REMEMBER the grace that sustained us when we didn't think we could take another step.
We REMEMBER the people God placed around us.
We REMEMBER the lessons He taught us.
We REMEMBER the ways He carried us when we couldn't carry ourselves.
SO, NOT TO BE MISSED...
Sometimes God's greatest work is not found in what He delivered us from, but in what He produced within us while we walked through it.
When the Psalmist calls us to PONDER the works of God, we are being invited to look beyond the event itself and see the faithfulness of God woven throughout the story... especially the chapters we would never choose for ourselves.
On Celebration Sunday…
Amber, Shawn, Dan, Fiona, Luciano, and Jason publicly answered this question:
WHAT ARE YOU GIVING THANKS TO GOD FOR?
This week, I'd encourage you to answer that question yourself. And if you would… share your answer with a friend, a neighbor, a co-worker, or a classmate.
Tell someone where you've seen God's goodness, faithfulness, provision, or grace.
And as you do, don't be surprised if you begin to see your story a little differently. And here’s WHY I say that… when we stop and ponder the works of God, we often discover something beautiful…
GOD WAS FAITHFUL IN EVERY CHAPTER...
EVEN THE ONES WE NEVER WOULD HAVE WRITTEN.
