Remembering what God has done

Today is the final Sunday of the year and, as they did last year, Pastor Jeff and Pastor Joe did their tag team "end of the year" sermon. But before their sermon I stood in church singing Matt Redman's song "You Never Let Go," and remembering last year's "end of the year" sermon. First, let me back up and share with you the chorus of this great song.

Oh no, You never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go
In every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go
Lord, You never let go of me

You see, what made me think of last year's sermon was that at this time last year, I was walking through a bit of a storm myself. Not a big storm, just a small thunderstorm of sorts - the kind that rocks your boat a bit. During that time I was holding onto Jesus for dear life and wondering why I wasn't walking through this storm a wee bit faster. During Pastor Joe and Pastor Jeff's sermon last year they talked about how God takes the storms in our life and uses them for His glory. And sure enough, God has been faithful in that regard.

This year, Pastors Joe and Jeff talked about how, in Joshua 4:4-7, God called together the twelve men representing each of the twelve tribes of Israel to go into the middle of the Jordan river before the Ark of the Lord and pick up a stone. They were to bring it to the edge of the river and use the stones to build a memorial to remind the Israelites how the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the Lord's Covenant went across. I like to call that "Old Testament scrapbooking."

Just as the Israelites are not to forget the miracles God did during the Old Testament times, I must not forget the miracles God works in my life today. It's important to remember. It builds my faith. I may not always scrapbook the storms of my life, and the way God walks me through them, but I can write them in a journal and look back every now and again to see how far He has brought me. He has been faithful to walk me through the highs and lows of life in 2007 and I know He'll be faithful in 2008. It's my job to remember and to share my hope with others.