by Meredith Mills @DazzledByTheSon
At Your feet again I fall, my Lord,
    Confessing the same old sin.
Once again I’ve failed. I’ve fallen down.
    How unfaithful I’ve been!
How could You keep on loving me?
How could Your mercy go that deep?
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Your faithfulness, O God,Â
    Is more than I ever dared to dream.
It’s deeper than all the deepest seas,
    Greater than anything I’ve seen.
I stand in awe of You
    For who You are and what You do
For all of the things You’ve brought me through.
You have been faithful, Lord.Â
That song, I wrote it 15 years ago, yet it’s as true of me today as it was back then. I still run back to the same sins. I still forget what God has done and falter in faithless unbelief. I still panic when pressures mount and doubt when the impossible stares me in the face.
It seems I’m in good company, though.
Jesus’ own disciples were pretty forgetful, too. Shortly after watching their Master feed 5000+ hungry people with just five loaves and two fish (Mark 6), they had a déjà vu experience – lots of hungry people (4000 this time), only one lunch, and 12 clueless disciples trying to figure out how to feed everyone (Mark 8).
Now, as the reader, I’m a little irritated with Jesus’ friends at this point. I mean, come on. Jesus just multiplied bread and fish a few days ago. Are you so quick to forget? Aren’t you thrilled about your impossible situation? It’s the perfect set-up for a miracle!
But no, you’re questioning how to feed all those people. Looking to your own resources again. Telling Jesus how impossible things are.
I’m irritated, until God gets personal.
I’ve seen God provide when we had no idea where the money would come from. I’ve watched Him heal broken relationships when I was at odds with a friend. I’ve received wisdom when I was clueless and direction when I was lost. I’ve experienced His deliverance from depression and spiritual attack.
I’ve got history with God!
But I still forget. So compassion replaces irritation as I continue reading the story.
Jesus patiently repeats the process – asking the disciples what they’re going to do about all these needy people, telling them to take inventory, receiving what they bring, blessing it and putting it back into their hands. And once again, they do the impossible because their God hasn’t changed. He’s still a Miracle Worker. He’s still their Provider.
You have been faithful, Lord!
He’s still faithful. Always faithful.
Even when they doubt, He’s faithful.
Even when they question, He’s faithful.
Even when they come up with their own solutions, He’s faithful.
Even when they forget, He’s faithful.
Thank God, He’s faithful!
God is big on remembering. Over and over in Scripture, He reminds His people of what He’s done for them. He tells them to remind one another and to tell their children. Because He doesn’t change.
When we remember what He’s done in the past, we can face the future with confidence.
His faithfulness doesn’t depend on us – it’s His nature. Thank God, He’s faithful (and patient)! Thank God He reminds me when I forget!
Here are some practical ways I’ve found to remind myself of my history with God.
- Blessing box. A wooden box sits on my Grandmom’s hutch in the dining room. It’s small and unassuming, but it contains our family’s greatest treasures…notes we’ve written on 3×5 cards of things we’re thankful for and of answers to prayer. There are a whole lot of cards in there because God has been unreasonably good to us.
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Our Blessing Box
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Our "history notes"
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- Journal. I love recording my conversations with God. Sometimes I come to Him with a jumbled mess of confused thoughts and emotions. But as I pour out my heart through pen to page, God often brings clarity. He speaks back, too, and works me through whatever situation I’m facing at the time. It’s precious to read back over those journals and remember what God has done.
How have you seen God’s faithfulness in your life? What ways have you found to remember your history with Him? I’d love to hear!
Related Posts:
When I’m Not Enough…My Source and Supply
I like the Blessing Box idea. It’s a more lovely way to collect God’s blessings than the simple notepads I use. 🙂
Thank you for sharing so deeply from your own walk. My heart is touched through every post.
Thank you, dear friend! You are a constant encouragement to me!
I have a special box too! I started a blessing journal over fifteen years ago that morphed into a journal. And now my journal serves as a source for many of my blog and other writings. God is so good. Thanks for sharing!
Beckie – that’s awesome! It’s so encouraging to read back through and see His faithfulness. Thank you for commenting!
Love the box idea. And don’t we all forget His faithfulness and pure strength in life’s situations? Good post. It’s been a joy to visit.
Thank you for dropping by, Kristi!
Journaling–and then going back and looking at those entries later. I don’t often do that because I don’t have time, but when I do, I am encouraged by the answers to prayer and insights from the Lord. I also want to add that reading your blog is encouraging.
Thank you, Beth – for sharing and for your sweet encouragement. Your site is a blessing to me, as well!