Remembering God's Goodness This Thanksgiving SeasonНамуна

What are landmark moments in your life? Can you recall times when God did something big in your life? What are some of God’s wonderful works in your life, in your family, or in the life of your church? How did you celebrate those times and how do you commemorate them after the fact?

1 Chronicles 16 marks the return of the Ark to Israel under David’s watch. This is no small thing. The Ark represented God’s special presence and power with His people. The Ark’s presence or absence communicated God’s nearness or distance. Its return demanded national attention.

While we often let big moments come and go, thankful but not stopping to consider their significance, David shines the spotlight on this moment in time. He leverages it to thank and praise the living God. Like many of God’s deeds in the Bible, this event is recorded and commemorated for generations to come so a testimony of God’s faithfulness is passed down. David desires Israel to worship God in this ceremony, but there’s also a long-range intent to recall God’s glory year after year. It’s why Asaph pens this song of thanksgiving, recorded both in 1 Chronicles 16 and in Psalm 105.

As you experience God’s power in your own life, as He teaches you from His Word, uses you in the life of others, helps you mature, frees you from sin, provides for you, or carries you through a difficult season, how can you give thanks in that moment but also record it to give thanks again in the future?

When we record God’s deeds, we not only stir up gratitude, but we also strengthen our faith. We need moments of looking back to see God’s faithfulness so we will trust Him in the future. Both during David’s day and during the time 1 Chronicles was written when Israel was scattered in exile, Israel faced opposition and enemies. They suffered from spiritual apathy and temptation. They faced fear and discouragement. But as they remembered the God on their side and how He has been faithful time and time again, faith increased. And as remembering led to thanksgiving, it gave strength and hope to trust Him moving forward.

Grateful remembrance is a deep breath and big exhale pushing out the anxiety and discouragement threatening to take our breath away. Looking back to look up refocuses our eyes on God rather than ourselves or circumstances. The scenario might have changed, but God has not changed.

We give thanks by remembering. And this grateful remembrance builds trust and faith. We bank on God today because he always comes through, and our past gives us evidence.