Inside Out: A 40 Day Journey to Transforming Your HeartSample

Forgetful Heart --> Remembering Heart

Remembering is a powerful thing. We can remember joyful, momentous occasions, which lead to feeling motivated, hopeful, and loved. We can also remember horrific tragedies where we feel grief, fear, anger, and hopelessness. We can recall them over and over again, reliving them as if they were yesterday. The more we relive something through remembering, the easier it is to remember it in the future. This can work for us or against us when it comes to our heart's health. What we choose to focus on and remember matters.

God is there in the cherished moments of our lives, and God is there in the darkest valleys. This is reality. The question is, "Do we remember who God is when we are remembering our past, or have we forgotten His presence in our lives?"

When life is going well, and we see success, and have little concerns in life, we may not remember God. We may forget all that He has done to bless us. We may stop reading the Bible, stop praying, and stop gathering with other believers because we don't feel a need for God. Instead of enjoying the blessings of life with God, we take His blessings and forget that it all comes from Him. Hosea 13:6 shows us this reality, "But when they had grazed, they became full, they were filled, and their heart was lifted up; therefore they forgot me." When we feel satisfied by this world's comforts, we can easily forget that God blessed us with those comforts. Deuteronomy 8:18 encourages us that when life is going well, "You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day."

We forget the faithfulness of God. We forget how He has provided for us. We forget how He has protected us. We forget how He has pursued us, forgiven us, and empowered us with His Spirit. We forget He has a plan for our lives. We forget that the power and wealth He's given us is to further His Kingdom and not our own. Deuteronomy 4:9 says, "Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children's children." We are to share with those following after us how we have seen God work in our lives. This reminds us and motivates them to trust God as trials begin to come in their own lives. We are to remember who God is, what He has done, and what He promises to do in the future. "And now I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed of all the good things that the Lord your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed" (Joshua 23:14). We are to hear stories from those who have gone before us to remember who God is. "Remember the days of old; consider the years of many generations; ask your father, and he will show you, your elders, and they will tell you" (Deuteronomy 32:7).

When we think about our day, our thoughts should meditate first on God and His faithfulness, not the failures of today or the worries of tomorrow. Psalm 63:5-7 says, "My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy." What we remember matters. Let us focus our hearts on remembering what is true about God and stop focusing on what should have happened, what could have happened, or what did happen. Then we can have praise on our lips and joy in our hearts, not because of what has happened, but because of who God is despite what has occurred. Remembering who God is will transform our hearts from the inside out in any situation.

Take a Moment:

• When life is going well, how can remembering who God is help you to use your blessings to further His Kingdom and not yours?

• When life is challenging, how can remembering who God is help you to have an eternal perspective and not focus only on your temporal circumstances?

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, please help me to remember You in the times of blessing and the times of trials. Help me focus on who You are rather than the circumstances around me. May I not forget that You are present in every situation. May I remember You are faithful. May I remember the stories of old how You provided and protected Your people, believing in my heart that You will do the same with me. I know that remembering You will transform my heart no matter my situation. Amen.