The Land of Forgetfulness Subscribe to the Devotional

This week's focus: Remember

"Will Your wonders be made known in the darkness? And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?" - Psalm 88:12

One of the best things we can do to silence anxiety is to remember all the good God has done for us in the past. Our forgetfulness causes us to focus on the problem rather than the Problem-Solver. Instead of worshiping God by looking to Him and trusting His timing and abilities, we instead worship the problem and choose to live in the anxiety-ridden world of “what ifs.”

A poor memory threatens our prayer life because we fill that gap with worrying instead of recalling God’s faithfulness. Our Creator didn’t give us the gift of imagination so that we would construct false narratives and worst-case scenarios. Instead of rehearsing tragedy, we must take hold of prayer, praise, and remembrance—weapons that slay pessimistic perspectives.

In the Old Testament, we find the prophet Samuel reminding the Israelites not to forget the Lord’s goodness when we read,

“Only fear the LORD and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.” - 1 Samuel 12:24

When we take the time to stop and ponder all that the Lord has done for us, our faith increases, anxiety decreases, and our love for our Savior grows. In humble appreciation, we desire to do great things for Him, not because we have to (by grace, we have been saved through faith and not by our works) but because we want to. Serving and obeying Him is our joyful response to His great love for us.

As benefactors of amazing grace, let’s take the time to consider, contemplate, and reflect on a love so extraordinary that God the Father sent His only Son to die in our place. May this great act of compassion motivate us to live for Him and never visit the land of forgetfulness.

by Jennifer McAlister for My Faith Votes