Exhortation Station

Psalm 111:4 — “He has made His wonders to be remembered; YHWH is gracious and compassionate.” 

A while back I wrote a post called Joy Today.  In it, I discussed the importance of taking joy in each day despite not knowing what lies ahead tomorrow. 

In this post, I’d like to share a similar thought that I’ve been pondering lately.  It’s about the importance of taking time to pause and remember all Yahweh has done for us.  I pray you will be encouraged.

One application of “pause and remember” is the idea of looking back with thankfulness on our accomplishments.  Just we can forget to take joy in each moment (see post Joy Today), we can also forget to take joy in past moments.  I’d like to expound on this point a bit because it hits close to home for me.  Here’s an example…

A month or two ago I was heading home after a busy week at college.  I had just completed two big tests that week, and already I was thinking about my next week while driving — “what am I going to do about this assignment, how am I going to prepare for this next test, etc.?”  Then it struck me — “This is silly.  Yahweh has brought me through all these challenges, but instead of taking this time to enjoy my accomplishments, I’m already worrying about the next week.”  I chose to re-focus my thoughts on thankfulness for the past week, and it made all the difference. 

We normally think of discontentment in terms of “always wanting more stuff.”  Discontentment, however, can also apply to our accomplishments.  In this context, discontentment leads us into an unhealthy mentality of thinking we’re always “just one achievement short” of being able to rest in where Yah has us at the moment.

This is a treadmill — one that we as Yah’s children need to watch out for.

By treadmill, I mean that this mentality causes us to forget we’re actually making forward progress.  When we diligently press on to know Yah and then take time to think back on what Yah has brought us through, we will see that we are moving forward.  Adopting this mindset gives us a greater sense of purpose and helps us have confidence when tackling life’s challenges.

Another application of “pause and remember” is remembering Yah’s wonders of old.  Psalm 77:11,12 says, “I shall remember the deeds of YHWH; Surely I will remember Your wonders of old. ¹² I will meditate on all Your work and muse on Your deeds.”  Psalm 105:5 says, “Remember His wonders which He has done, His marvels and the judgments uttered by His mouth.” 

It is Yah’s design that we remember His marvelous works from ancient times until now.  Recall Psalm 111:4, which was at the beginning of this post — “He has made His wonders to be remembered; YHWH is gracious and compassionate.”  Praise Yah that He has designed specific seasons — His Feasts — for us to be reminded of things He’s done for us!

Listen to this verse in Exodus about the Feast of Unleavened Bread:

Exodus 13:7-9 — “Unleavened bread shall be eaten throughout the seven days; and nothing leavened shall be seen among you, nor shall any leaven be seen among you in all your borders. ⁸ You shall tell your son on that day, saying, ‘It is because of what YHWH did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ ⁹ And it shall serve as a sign to you on your hand, and as a reminder on your forehead, that the law of YHWH may be in your mouth; for with a powerful hand YHWH brought you out of Egypt.”

What are some tangible ways to apply what we’ve discussed?  One thing my mom has started doing that I think is really neat is dedicating a calendar for the sole purpose of writing down personal and family accomplishments, activities, projects, vacations, etc. throughout the year.  One day, when our family was sitting around the living room, Mom brought out the calendar and read it to us.  I was amazed at how many things each of us had accomplished in just one year! 

This is just one way to “pause and remember.”  It can be as simple as thinking back on the past day’s or week’s accomplishments and thanking the Father for how He’s brought you through. 

Also, remember His works of old.  The setting apart of the Sabbath at creation, the splitting of the Red Sea, the redemptive sacrifice of Yahshua — I encourage you to take some time to reflect on His wonders and magnificent displays of love toward us.  When His Feasts come around each year, remember that they are designed to be reminders to us.

Praise be to Yahweh — His wondrous, steadfast love is worth remembering!