REMEMBER
Connie Miller, Guest Writer
TODAY’S TREASURE
Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, “My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose”. - Isaiah 46:8-10
Living in the midst of a crazy, ancient polytheistic, Babylonian culture of idol worship, God is telling His people to “remember- stand firm and recall to mind”.
- Remember His faithfulness and goodness.
- Stand firm in Who He is; that He is the only true God.
- Recall that He is like no other.
God wants His people to stand firm, convicted that the Israelites are His chosen people and part of His Kingdom and purposes even in the midst of their enemies.
What a great reminder for us as God’s people who live in the midst of this present chaotic world to “remember, stand firm and recall to mind”. Remember that God is in control. Let us recall that He is God. Let us resolve that there is no other and He causes ALL things to work together for our good. Whether you realize it or not, you and I live out of the overflow of what we believe and by the way we view the world through that tapestry of belief. A worldview can be defined as the basic way a person looks at life; the lens through which one observes the world; and responds to it. How do you respond to the daily onslaught of world news? How do you respond to the loss of employment, to conflict, or to being unjustly accused? How do you respond to the loss of loved ones or to unexpected illness? Do you remember to stand firm and recall to mind the amazing attributes of our awesome God who sustains and rules the universe? Do you remember the One who is the conductor in this great orchestra of daily life? The One who promises to be with us, never leave or forsake us, and calls us His own?
Martin Lloyd Jones, well known twentieth-century theologian put it this way:
“We proclaim a great deal about ourselves as Christians by our ordinary remarks and by our ordinary comments about life. Our view of life comes out in our every expression.”1
Our very expression can be the way we respond to blessing or tragedy; how we treat our neighbor or manage our finances.
Francis Schaeffer said this: “There is a flow to history and culture. This flow is rooted and has its wellspring in the thoughts of people. People are unique in the inner life of the mind—what they are in their thought-world determines how they act. This is true of their value systems and it is true of their creativity. It is true of their personal lives. The results of their thought-world flow through their fingers or from their tongues into the external world. This is true of Michelangelo’s chisel, and it is true of a dictator’s sword.”2
LIFE-GIVING ENCOURAGEMENT
So what? Because we are God’s child and a part of His Kingdom, we must see all of life and the world around us through the lens of the “Grand Story of Scripture” and have a Kingdom perspective that it’s ALL His. Life is full of distractions and we can so often create and worship idols of the heart. We can erect the idol of self-sufficiency; “my time”, “my space”, “my family”, and even “my ministry” can become an idol. But as Isaiah 46:8 says: “remember, stand firm, and recall to mind”.
What now? Remember Who God is… and that He loves us with an everlasting love that endures forever. (Psalm 136:1). Recall to mind, you are His treasured possession (Deuteronomy 7:6). Stand firm to think biblically about this world we live in and how to respond to it as new creatures in Christ, (I Corinthians 5:17); filled with the guaranteed Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13) who possess the mind of Christ (I Corinthians 2:16); to give thanks in all things (I Thessalonians 5:18). Resolve to seek first Jesus and His Kingdom. (Matthew 6:33). We must live out of a deep conviction that God is King over all of life, people, circumstances, and things around us—-to remember that we worship Him and that He alone is GOD.
PRAYER
Dear Father, help us to remember You in times of confusion that You are the God of peace. Help us to remember that You are the God of all comfort in times of emotional turmoil and upheaval. Help us to remember that You are the God who foresees, therefore, You provide as our Great Jehovah. Thank You for Your ever-present lovingkindness and that You are a shield about us. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
1. Jones, Martin Lloyd. Studies in The Sermon on the Mount. Grand Rapids, Michigan/ Cambridge UK; 1959-1960. William B. Eerdmans Publishing. page 407
2.Schaeffer, Francis A. “How Should We Then Live? The Rise and Decline of Western
Thought and Culture”. Crossway, Westchester, Illinois. 1976. Page 19
More free resources for help hope & healing:
Aging with Grace, Flourishing in an Anti-Aging Culture
By Sharon W. Betters and Susan Hunt
Agingwithgrace.online Discover afresh a gospel that is big enough, good enough and powerful enough to make every season of life significant and glorious. Free Ask an Older Woman videos and much more. Not just for older women!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Connie Miller and her husband, Mike, have been married for 43 years and have three adult children and three grandchildren. Together they served on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ for twelve years at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina. Connie currently serves alongside her husband at Christ Covenant Church in Matthews, North Carolina, where she served on the board to reorganize the church's women's ministries as well as chair the Titus II Ministry. She continues to disciple women at Christ Covenant Church today.
In addition to her roles in the church, Connie is a Real Estate Broker in Charlotte, NC, as well as a National Trainer for PCA Women's Ministry and the PCA International Advisor for PCA Women's Ministry conducting training in Nicaragua, Columbia, South America, Scotland, England, Ireland, and El Salvador.
For more from Daily Treasure please visit MARKINC.ORG.
Originally published Tuesday, 08 August 2023.
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