The Wonders He Has Done - Daily Treasure - September 12

A Steadfast Woman in a Shifting World: The Wonders He Has Done

by Sharon W. Betters

TODAY’S TREASURE

I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter hidden things from of old - what we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us.  We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power, and the wonders He has done. -Psalm 78:2-4 NIV

Many times I had to force myself to stop crying so I could keep writing, not just because of the memory of God’s sweet love but also as I stepped back into those early years of grief. I sometimes cried out, “Lord, this is more than I can bear. I can’t do this. Please take this task from me.” And God smiled as He held me tightly in His grip.

When I told Chuck I didn’t think I could continue to write, he exhorted me, “Write for your children and grandchildren. Don’t think about anyone else reading this book. Someday life will crush them and they will need a guide, someone further along in a similar pathway. Maybe the Lord will use our story to encourage them to walk by faith and believe God is sovereign and they can trust Him.”

It’s in those dark places God sends treasures, to help turn our hearts toward Him, to remind us He knows us and calls us by name (Isaiah 45:2-3). That's one reason I encourage women to journal, to keep a record, not just for herself, but for those who come after her, as a means to tell the story of God's grace again and again.  In Today’s Treasure the writer of Psalm 78 declares:

I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter hidden things from of old - what we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us.  We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power, and the wonders He has done. -Psalm 78:2-4 NIV

The older I grow, the more I want to tell the next generation of "things hidden from of old... the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power, and the wonders He has done." Oh, how those coming after us need to hear and see this message lived out, that our God is our Rock, Rest, Rescue, and Refuge.

The Apostle Paul, writing from a prison cell, tells Timothy "the time has come for my departure" and in the next few verses Paul repeatedly declares the "praiseworthy deeds of the Lord."  Writing from a prison cell, over and over again, Paul reminds Timothy of the history of God's gracious care of him and he confidently awaits the Lord's rescue from every evil attack. Paul is writing from a prison cell but he is free! Our circumstances sometimes feel like a prison cell, holding us back from our dreams and plans. As we age, we may feel as though our bodies are prison cells, limiting us from doing what we wish or may have always done. Take a page from Paul's last words; recognize even from prison, there is still more to do, tell His story in your life to the next generation.

PRAYER

Lord, the world shifts beneath our feet and we desperately reach for something to steady us. Thank you for being that Rock that cannot be moved, our Refuge, Rest and Rescue.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sharon W. Betters is author of Treasures of Encouragement, Treasures in Darkness, and co-author of Treasures of Faith. She is Director of Resource Development and co-founder of MARKINC.org, a non-profit organization that offers help and hope to hurting people. Sharon enjoys quality time with her husband, children, and fourteen grandchildren.

For more from Daily Treasure please visit MARKINC.ORG.