Monday, May 2, 2022
And Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance for you and your children forever, because you have wholly followed the Lord my God. Joshua 14:9
Worth Remembering
Many of us deal with painful memories. They may be painful memories from childhood or from broken relationships in adulthood. They may be memories of abuse, neglect, or rejection. Sometimes we may not even be able to remember a part of our lives because our mind has completely blocked it out because it was too traumatic. It is a defense mechanism that our minds use to protect us. These kinds of memories are not the ones we want to hold onto. Maybe some of them need to be confronted, or dealt with, but all of them need to be released and placed into the hands of our Heavenly Father, who is the only one who can heal the dents and dings these kinds of memories put in our hearts.
Even though many of us have some painful memories, most of us have some really good memories too. Good memories give us feelings of joy long after the moments are past. Good memories are the ones that sometimes keep us going - especially the memories of what God has done for us. Our God is a faithful God who keeps every promise He makes. The things that He has done for us often get lost in the unanswered prayers on our list and the pain of current circumstances. In the midst of the unanswered prayers and painful circumstances is where we need to remember God’s promises the most.
Caleb had many memories. He was with the Israelites when God delivered them from bondage in Egypt. He was with them through the wilderness and was one of the twelve spies that were sent into Canaan by Moses to scout it out. Canaan was the land flowing with milk and honey - the land God promised the Israelites:
…and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Exodus 3:8
Ten of those spies said the people who lived there were giants and there was no way the Israelites could take the land. Caleb calmed everyone down and said they certainly could take it! He was confident of the promise that God had given them, and he had followed the Lord fully. He remembered what God had done so far for them and believed, despite what his eyes saw. He saw the giants, but he remembered God’s promise and believed He is faithful to keep His promises.
Caleb was not able to convince the rest of the Israelites, so they wandered in the desert for another 40 years. Most of them died before they ever came back to the edge of Canaan again. They completely missed the blessing because they did not believe the promise. Caleb did get to see it - when he was 85 years old. He was patient. His faith never wavered.
Sometimes what we see, or what we cannot see, will cause us to forget the faithfulness of God and the promises He has made. And sometimes we need to let forgotten memories lie. What we need to never forget are the times God has come through - that He saved us from sin and eternal separation from Him - and the other times we have seen Him work miracles in our lives and the lives of others. He cares. He is faithful. He keeps His promises. That is worth remembering.
