The Lord gave us the capacity to remember things for a reason. It is by His design that our memories would serve us and not consume us. Our memories can be a blessing or a curse depending on how we process them. Pray to the Lord to help you with all your memories, knowing that He was with you in all of them.
Cherish the good memories, learn from the bad, and know that the Lord goes before you. “For you shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight; for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard” (Isaiah 52:12 NKJV).
Sometimes when we think about good memories, they bring a sense of sadness because of the current place we find ourselves in. We start to miss out on the joys in the day because of the joys that we had to leave behind us. Thank God for what you had before, and trust God for what He will yet give you.
Don’t try to get back to where you were, but to where God is taking you. “Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” (Isaiah 43:18-19 NKJV).
Sometimes we allow our bad memories to consume us, stealing the joy that we might have today. It is not that God wants us to get over it, but by His help to get through it. In however your past yet haunts you, give it to the Lord and let His strength begin to heal you and fill you with His peace.
Remember your past, but never look back. The Lord Jesus said, “…No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62 NKJV).
Often, we think the best days are behind us because we only see the problems that stand before us. We forget that in the days behind us, we had as many problems as we do in the present. The Lord helped us before, and we can trust that He will help us through whatever problems we have right now.
To build your faith going forward, remember what God has done in the past. “But then I recall all you have done, O Lord; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago. They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works” (Psalm 77:11-12 NLT).
We need to learn to be thankful for the good memories, thanking the Lord for all He has done before. We need to treasure all the good moments and allow them to carry us with all hope in every day we have before us. Today will soon be a memory, so make it a good one.
So long as you think your best days are behind you, they will be. “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23 NKJV).
We don’t have to forget the bad memories of our past, but we can choose not to let them consume us. We need to give each bad memory to the Lord, allowing Him to then do a work in us. Jesus didn’t give you the ability to remember to destroy you, but His own life by which He would save you.
It is in remembering all that God has done that we can trust Him with all that lies ahead. “I will lift up my eyes to the hills— From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1-2 NKJV).
A memory properly held in our thoughts will teach us that the Lord has always been with us. Good memories reflect God’s gifts He has given us. Bad memories reflect God’s help to get us through them. Sinful memories reflect God’s grace and mercy to forgive us.
There’s only a calm after the storm when you put the storm behind you. “We should remove from our lives anything that would get in the way. And we should remove the sin that so easily catches us. Let us look only to Jesus” (Hebrews 12:1-2 ICB).
Remember when you were happy? Remember when you were at peace? Remember when you had noble ideals? Remember when you had so many dreams? Remember when your future seemed so bright? Now, choose that today will be the day you’ll let the Lord restore you to be this way again.
Whatever you won’t put behind you is still in your way. “…forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal…” (Philippians 3:13-14 NKJV).
Blessings to you,
Paul Balius