Joyful Remembrance

What a scene this must have been. Every year, a week-long festival was to take place, celebrating Israel’s miraculous deliverance from captivity in Egypt. They would remember their journey through the wilderness, God going before them and supernaturally supplying their needs. They were to find the best trees and build booths out of their branches. It didn’t matter if they had the finest house in the city, for seven days, they were to head outside and live in those rough shelters.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t do camping well. Leave me with my Wi-Fi, and my comfy bed, and my nice tiled bathroom with all the hot and cold running water I can use, and that combination in the kitchen of freezer and microwave is entirely indispensable, and don’t forget my High Definition TV in the corner, thank you very much. I know the household amenities back then weren’t quite the same, but, still, I imagine heading outside to shelter under some tree branches wasn’t exactly appealing.

But there was an important principle at work here. God took care of His people in the wilderness and did so with miracle after miracle. Quail fell from the sky when they needed meat. Manna was there every morning to feed them, and when they were thirsty, water flowed from a rock that followed them. One of the things that strikes us as we look at Israel’s history is how easily they forgot the amazing things God did for them, and how often they forsook Him over the years. But the fact is, you and I are just as quick to forget His goodness and His miracles in our lives as the Israelites were.

We’re no longer expected to spend a week outdoors living in shelters made out of branches, but I would suggest spending plenty of time remembering and celebrating all the amazing things God has done for us in our lives. Has He ever healed you, or healed your spouse or your child? Has he restored your marriage when the circumstances seemed to scream out that there was no hope? And where were you before you accepted Him as your Lord and Savior? Is being delivered out of whatever that situation was worth celebrating?

If you’re having a rough day today, or even if you’re not, take some time to remember the awesome things God has done in your life, and don’t just remember them, celebrate them, and rejoice that the God who did all that is still with you, He still loves you passionately, and He’s right there by your side every single moment of your life!