The Lord instructed Israel to create records and memorials to commemorate His blessings and to remind future generations of God’s faithfulness. “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.’” (Exodus 17:14) God was telling Moses to share with the next generation how He had saved Israel and to record it in a book for future generations.
In Joshua 4, the Israelites crossed over the Jordan Sea into the Promised Land. The Lord had Joshua command one man from each tribe to take a stone from the River bed. They constructed a memorial from the stones. The memorial was to remind future generations of God’s faithfulness. “That this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.” (Joshua 4:6-7)
This is a good idea for us today. I encourage you to take note of when God blesses you and to record those blessings in a journal. Your blessings journal will serve as encouragement when you face challenging times.
My grandmother recorded blessings daily on sheets of paper. She usually just wrote just one sentence or a few words. We found many sheets of recorded blessings after she passed away. She clearly set aside time each day to reflect on how the Lord had blessed her that day. Some blessings were financial, but many more blessings of encouragement. She often recorded that a friend had dropped by for a visit or someone had offered to take her to the store (she did not drive) or to church. This exercise instilled in her a spirit of grateful and a recognition that God is working in our lives daily. These notes encourage me many years later.
I encourage you to develop a habit of pausing at the end of each day to reflect on how God has watched over you and blessed in that day. Writing down a blessing or two is a great way to end the day. Your record of blessings will one day serve as a reminder to your children and grandchildren to depend on the Lord and to fully trust him.
Perhaps you don’t have a personal relationship with God and have never considered that He loves you and that He blesses you daily. He does, and you can experience the joy of knowing Jesus Christ as your Savior and having your sins forgiven simply by admitting that you are a sinner and accepting Jesus Christ’s death on the cross as punishment for your sins. Please click on Basics of Salvation in the tool bar above to learn how you can invite Jesus to be your Lord and Savior.
Susan's Reflections 