Rest and Reset: A 30-Day Devotional to Revive JoySample

God Remembered

God remembers, but we are the ones who so often forget. Now, God remembering a thing isn’t because He has the character trait of forgetfulness. Instead, when scripture mentions God remembering something, that word is more about His intention to act or respond—answer a prayer, change a situation, or transform you within the circumstance. But above all, it signifies that God is about to do what only He can do. God is a covenant-keeping God. Whenever God speaks, whatever He says comes to pass because life is given to it. The first mention of God remembered is in Genesis 8:1, which says “'And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that were with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters assuaged.

There is a principle of first mention that establishes its primary meaning and sets a pattern for how it's understood throughout the rest of the text. Whenever the words appear again in scripture, it highlights that God remains the same, yesterday, today, and forever. God gave Noah instructions to build an ark to save His family from the upcoming flood. Once Noah loaded up and the rain started, scripture says it rained for one hundred and fifty days, then God remembered. The season for floating on the waters was ending, and it was time for Noah to start anew. A new life that would eventually symbolize the beginning of a new era for humanity.

God remembers the promises He made to you: the promise to be present in every situation, to supply all your needs, to heal your broken heart, to guide you, and to love you despite your shortcomings. God has made these promises, and therefore, He will never forget. Often, when we are waiting for a promise to be fulfilled, the enemy uses doubt to creep into our minds, causing us to question if the scriptures we read truly apply to us. Your adversary wants you to be tossed back and forth between whether God will keep His promise and when you will see it. Your job is to hold on to God’s word and not try to figure out how it will happen. Faith comes by hearing and is the substance of what is hoped for, with no evidence that it shall be.

When we peek into the lives of God’s most faithful servants, we see their journey from beginning to end. However, those living during biblical times could neither see nor understand how God would provide for them. For example, Abraham heard the command to sacrifice his only son, yet he also understood that this son would be his heir. This may seem contradictory, but the truth is that God spoke both times for a purpose. If Abraham had not risen early the next morning in complete obedience, his mind might have started to question and reason how God would provide, and he would have missed out on the blessing of seeing God provide a ram in the bush.

·God remembered Abraham’s plea for Lot (Genesis 19:29)

·God remembered Rachel (Genesis 30:22)

·God remembered His Covenant (Exodus 2:24)

·God remembered The Afflicted (Psalm 9:12)

·God remembered His Holy Promise (Psalm 105:42)

God remembered then, and He remembers now, and surely, He remembers you. You are not forgotten. God will keep His promise. In Deuteronomy 8:2, the children of Israel were commanded,' And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no ' The Lord reminded them, and he is reminding us " to remember" all of the times He was there, guiding them, even during the moments when everything inside them wanted to turn back to the familiar. This principle is two-fold: God wants us to trust that He remembers, and He wants us to remember His promises.

May your heart rejoice in this truth, and in those moments when your mind wanders, if God is going to keep His promise of redemption and restoration, hold onto the steadfastness of God’s character. He remembered.

Be encouraged.