Forgetful could be my middle name. Sometimes, I dial a number and forget who I’m calling while the phone rings. Talk about awkward. Or I go into the kitchen and forget what I wanted. I take off my glasses and lose them. My dad used to say I’d lose my head if it wasn’t tied to my body.
I may lose things, but I never want to lose sight of what God’s done for me.
I’m just like the Israelites in the Old Testament: “When our ancestors were in Egypt, they gave no thought to your miracles; they did not remember your many kindnesses, and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea.” (Psalm 106:7)
When I’m facing Red Sea challenges, it’s easy to forget God’s miracles and kindnesses. Often I look at the mountain in front of me instead of at the God who stands behind me. I forget His hand on me. I focus on the problems around me instead of on the God whose Spirit lives inside me.
Sometimes it’s not even a mountain in front of me. It’s a little molehill that takes on gigantic proportions. When I bend down and look at it long and hard, it grows. I lose sight of the big picture of God’s love and faithfulness.
Because seriously, spiritual amnesia is a thing with me.
That’s why I’m trying to remember this:
We need to thank God, so we don’t take for granted what He’s done. We need to tell our stories, so we don’t forget them. We need to tell them to our kids, our parents, and our friends. Maybe most of all we need to tell our stories to ourselves, to help us remember God’s goodness and love.
Here’s one of my stories that helps me remember:
Last spring, I went through a cancer scare. I was scared for my life and for the mounting medical bills. One day my husband and I ate lunch with friends we hardly knew. Later I was shocked to discover they’d slipped $1,000 dollars into my purse. The next day I went in for a CAT scan, and the receptionist asked for a co-pay of $1,000. God had known I’d need that money before I did. Not only did He sustain me every day for two months until I found I didn’t have cancer, He also provided for every bill.
I bet you have stories to tell too.
What Red Sea are you looking at today, friend?
Maybe it’s a flood of trouble, or a pool of tears you’ve cried over a child. What mountain is in front of you? Maybe it’s a pile of bills waiting to be paid, a heap of hurt from a bad relationship or a mound of disappointment from a prayer that seems to go unanswered. No matter how big that Red Sea in front of you looks, remember God stands behind you and His Spirit is in you.
How about looking back at God’s faithfulness?
Sometimes we need to tell ourselves our story all over again. What has God already done for you? The same God who showed himself faithful in the past will show up in your life again.
How about telling someone else one of your stories today? It just might encourage you as well as them.
Now it’s your turn: Do you have a story of God’s faithfulness? What has He done for you lately?
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Betsy, I think we all suffer from spiritual amnesia at times in our lives. It is so true that the “cure” is in recalling the times of our God’s faithfulness to us. It is the surest way to keep us holding onto Him when circumstances loom large in front of us. I am so grateful He stands with us and goes before us. I love the story of His provision for you before you were even aware of your need!
Yes, I love the idea of making lists of our stories. I want to make a bullet journal entry of my best God stories, so I can remember them when I need too. Because spiritual amnesia. It is real!
I love that phrase: “spiritual amnesia.”
And it’s so hard for me to admit that even with all God has done for me in the past, I still struggle to live in the knowledge of His faithfulness for TODAY’S challenges.
Thanks, Betsy, for sharing your own experience with this.
Oh me too, Michael, I struggle to believe and remember. Blessings on your week, friend.
You too? I’m so glad I’m not the only one. This post made me smile this morning, friend. I am with you. Remembering all the answered prayers and goodness of our God today and holding onto this unchanging truth. xoxo
Amen! Let’s remember those answered prayers and hang on to unchanging truth!
This, Betsy, this –>’ It’s a little molehill that takes on gigantic proportions.’
That’s resonating for me this morning. Makes me wonder what certain situations in my life would look like if I immediately ran to the Author and Finisher with the smallest of details.
Blessings on your day, friend …
I would say I have been forced to walk by faith, for I would have chosen a different way. Too long to go into, the Lord has been faithfully providing the impossible for me since 1989 and His miraculous ways of provision are too numerous to go into. One huge thing, I longed to be remarried after my first husband left me, I waited 18 years with the Lord, praying about this. When I was 53, my daughter met a young man on Christian forums, they maintained a long-distance relationship with visits here and there and wound up engaged. I spoke to his father online regarding the wedding, when his father came for the wedding, we met in person…..were married 8 months later. How very sweet of the Lord!!! I know He is faithful, no matter what I face. Never-the-less, fear can grab me at times, it is in the remembering that I am freed. Thanks for this, blessings.
Oh wow, Leslie. What a story! That’s amazing. So glad to know that God blessed you that way. I’m sure that does build your faith to remember it. 🙂
Thanks so much Betsy! He is amazing for sure. ❤️
I agree, it is so easy to forget what God has done in the past when we are focussing on the challenges in front of us. It is important to have ways to remember God’s goodness and it’s reassuring that there are so may examples of that in the Bible like Joshua and the Israelites taking stones out of the Jordan River to help the people remember how God had helped them across, or the Psalms that recount the whole story of the Israelites’ rescue from Egypt. I think people have always needed their reminders. I love your story of how God provided exactly what you needed even before you knew.
I LOVE those memorial stones from Joshua. Lisa TerKeurst talks about that in her book What Happens When Women Walk in Faith. 🙂
Hi Betsy!
I appreciate your reminder to “tell ourselves our story all over again.” It brings to mind family photo albums. When my husband and I have gone through a rough patch, or a dream seems out of reach, or the distance from our adult children seems too great, we pull out the photo albums. Turning those pages, we reflect on all that has come before, all of the blessings we’ve enjoyed. God is faithful.
Thank you for the reminder.
Oh wow. I love that Erin. Photo albums. I never thought of using them that way. What a wonderful idea. God is faithful, indeed.
Oh wow. I love that Erin. Photo albums. I never thought of using them that way. What a wonderful idea. God is faithful, indeed.
So true, Betsy we do need to tell our stories of God’s faithfulness to confess His majesty in our lives for others to see. Well done!💕
I’m sure you have many stories to tell as well, Jill! 🙂
Betsy,
Oh how many times I’ve had “spiritual amnesia”. People say don’t look backward, but sometimes I find that does me good to look at all the Ebenezers I’ve raised to God’s faithfulness. He gives me courage to keep going forward in His goodness.
Blessings,
Bev xx
Yes, I agree. Looking backwards to the good things, to God’s faithfulness, definitely helps me!
Betsy,
Love this and the story of how God provided for you last spring. Thanks for sharing it 🙂
And “spiritual amnesia,” yep, I’ve suffered from it, too, and your RX for recovery, yes, too 🙂 Praying God continues to provide for you and your family in all ways <3
Hey there, Dolly. Blessings and grace to you, friend. Let’s stay on the road to remembering His Faithfulness.
I love recounting all the things God has done in my life – seven years ago my husband and I closed on our home. It was Gods timing in a time frame everyone said was impossible. A home that literally fell in our lap- that had only been a dream before that.
And I recall how 13 years ago God brought a father figure into my life after I had spent most of my childhood praying for a father. And of all places God brought this godly father figure to me through my job at a convenience store !
Wow, Naomi! Those are big milestones! Wonderful, faith-building things to look back on. And I love that you have a father figure. This encourages me, especially because God called me to be a “Mother figure” for a young woman, who I later discovered always wanted another mother.
Love that verse! Spiritual amnesia is sometimes a thing with me, too. So thankful for the Spirit who gently whispers truth. My Red Sea is just continual prayers of hope and courage and strength and peace and every other goodness-from-God for my children. Remembering they’re God’s first and He hasn’t forgotten them. Thanks for this encouragement today, Betsy. ((xoxo))
Oh I can relate to that Red Sea of concern for kids, Brenda. I think every mother can. Praying for yours now!
What an amazing story! At the time these things happen, we think we will never forget, but we do. I don’t want to forget that I serve a faithful God!
That’s a beautiful thing to remember, Sarah. He is faithful, indeed.
It’s so easy to forget God’s faithfulness when we stare too long at our problems — been there, done that more times than I can count, Betsy. But keeping my focus on God, praising Him for what He’s doing — even when I can’t see the evidence — and remembering His past faithfulness fuels my faith for whatever I face!
Love your testimony of God’s faithfulness, sweet friend! ((Hugs))
Yes, Crystal, I want to keep my gaze on God, instead of on the molehills in front of me. 🙂
Betsy, I went through a similar scare last year. I can relate to your story. God reminded me to focus on His name not the name of whatever I might be facing. It is in our tight spots that we experience Him. My flesh longs for comfort, but my soul longs for Him.
Oh yes, you’re right Debbie. In the tight spots we discover more of Him. I think I’m discovering that all over again today!
I was just meditating on this very thing this morning, Besty! In John 6:5 when Jesus tests Philip about how they should feed 5000 people! How often have we seen His provision and abundant blessings? Yet when facing a dilemma we often look to worldly things first for a solution and worry when they fall short, rather than look to Jesus for a miracle! And yes, our stories need to be told! Yours is so encouraging – what a blessing! and now multiplied because you’ve shared it with us! Have a blessed weekend!
Thanks for your encouragement, June. Yes, we forget that in order to experience a miracle, we often have to be in a tight spot in the first place!
Oh, this was SO refreshing! I was especially intrigued at how you applied The verse in Psalms to our present day problems. Such practical application. I will be pinning this to my pinterest and am so happy I was your neighbor at Holley Gerth’s linkup. <3
Thanks so much for reading, Liz!
This encouraged me today. I have faced cancer and God brought me through it–all the while facing many other mountains. I am still facing mountains in my life, and I sometimes have spiritual amnesia. It’s so easy to get it when there are life issues all around you. But remembering God’s grace and thanking Him for all that He has done far outweighs anything and remembering always gets me through. Thank you, Betsy.