The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad (Psalm 126:3).
After two months of changes, I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. I’m so thankful for the peace of autumn mornings.
This past weekend I prayed for strength. You know what? The Lord answered my prayer. He filled me with His joy. I can see the colors of autumn as they are meant to be seen. With a heart full of thanksgiving.
To celebrate all the good things (Not circumstances.) the Lord has done for us, I made a loaf of banana bread and a batch of apple butter.
How are you celebrating the goodness of God in your life? What do you see when looking at the seasonal changes? Take time to relax, let go, and celebrate. The Lord has done great things. Just look around you!
It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed,
Because his compassions fail not.
They are new every morning:
Great is thy faithfulness.
The LORD is my portion, saith my soul:
Therefore will I hope in him.
Jeremiah 3:18-24
Still in remembrance
We have no trouble remembering hard times. A memorial of the incident leaps to mind when something terrible happens, bringing back all the emotions we experienced at that time. This is like… I remember when…
Jeremiah remembered his hard times.
But then, something happens. He writes, “This I recall to my mind.”
Recall to Mind
The word recall is a synonym for remembering. Now, I’m no expert, but these two words work differently in my thinking, especially in the spiritual context.
To recall is an intentional act. We mentally run through our files, pulling out the needed memory to bolster our failing hope.
Jeremiah intentionally focused on God and his mercies. His compassions. His faithfulness.
We can’t erase the hard times or the memories that come with them. But we can intentionally recall God’s unfailing love and His faithfulness to us.
On the other hand, the antonym for recall is forget. How easily we forget God’s faithfulness and His blessings during stormy seasons. The writer of Hebrews encourages us not to forget, but to recall!
Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering: (for he is faithful that promised;) Hebrews 10:23
Great Is Thy Faithfulness
Most people know the first verse and the chorus to the following song. I want to share the last two verses with you. And if you have the time, the video is well worth the listen. CeCe Winans is one of my all-time favorite gospel singers.
Fairy tales often begin with once upon a time, but the tale doesn’t stop there. It can’t. A story ends well if we find the answer to one question…
And then what happened?
Without that question, we have no plot. And there must be a plot. The plot drives the story forward. Right?
But here’s where our story differs from the fiction we read and write. Our stories have sagging middles. And I don’t mean I-quit-doing-my-sit-ups sagging middles. The sagging I refer to is the endless waiting, wandering a circuitous path.
It’s during these middles we, as doers, feel helpless because the forward movement has stopped. There is no action. Or is there?
We fail to comprehend this new plot twist because we’re not the author of our stories. The Master storyteller holds the pen, and He knows the exact pace needed to accomplish the character arc He desires.
Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. James 1:3-4 KJV
Truth: Sometimes we need a sagging middle to move us forward.
The Lord alone knows how to structure our story to bring us to a delightful ending.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:11-13 KJV
He has made the needed provisions for our salvation, and He’s making the necessary revision in our lives. Hence, the sagging middle. Hang in there. We can and will finish strong if we yield to His hand.
Another fact to rejoice over is our Lord never suffers from writer’s block! He has known the end of our stories from the beginning.
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2
As writers we understand, only the Author who knows the ending can finish the story. And He alone will finish the story. May we all allow Him to write His story upon our hearts.
