Read: Isaiah 46:9
“Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me . . .”
Understand:
- What should we remember?
- Who is there no other like?
- Why do you think it is important to remember the past?
Listen: Today’s verse might seem a bit confusing to some. Often, when we are trying to overcome things, we simply try our best to forget it or we don’t think about it. I am like that. When I remember something that was upsetting to me, I try really hard to get the thought out of my mind: think about something else. I believe this is good practice. I really do. We should never dwell so much on the past that it cripples our future. Yet, this scripture verse tells us to remember. I believe there is a vast difference between remembering and dwelling and I believe that God wants us to use our memories in a beneficial way. Let me explain.
As I have shared, I lost my mother on October 4, 2018. For so long after her funeral, every time a memory of her surfaced in my mind, I would deliberately do something to distract myself. The pain of no longer having her with me was too much. If I allowed myself to dwell on the last week of her life, I truly would sink into despair. I would question my actions and if I had said everything I needed to say to her before she left us. Or, I would think about those last memories of her in the hospital and what she went through. Even writing this right this moment, makes my heartbeat elevate. So, it was better to not think about her at all than to do that. Again, it took me months to get to the point where God healed me enough that I could think of my mom and instead of focusing on the pain, focus on the good things: our watching classic movies together or baking cookies together or the funny things she would say or the love she and I have for dogs. I want to remember those things because it is a reminder that God blessed me with an incredible mother who loved me so much and taught me so many wonderful things. Don’t get me wrong, there is still a touch of emotion with remembering but I had to change my way of thinking about the past. That is the hardest thing I believe we have to do when we remember.
When I read this scripture verse, that is the way I interpreted it. God wants us to remember so we know that He is with us. Even when things seem so unbearable, He is there and He gets us through it. He wants us to remember the blessings He has poured into our lives and we can only do these things when we allow ourselves to remember.
I just want to encourage you. There is a purpose that God allows us to remember. If those memories are painful right now, when they surface, do something else and distract yourself so it’s not on your mind. Allow time for healing. When the time is right, and you will know when, give a moment for that memory to linger. Think of how God walked you through it or about what you learned from it, or about the blessings that accompany it. There is a purpose to our memory but learn from it and use it in the way God means for it to be used.
Pray: Dear Heavenly Father, You have given us something amazing with our memories. They can be so wonderful and yet so painful. Let us remember Your healing power in this area of our life. Help us to heal and use memories as the blessing You intend them to be. In Jesus name we pray, amen.
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