Can you ever imagine staying depressed when you start thinking about the goodness of the Lord and what He has done in times past for you? I can’t either. I can’t help but start feeling that if He’s come through for me before, He can surely do it for me again today.
I remember a time a few years back when I was stuck in a job I just plain hated. It just wasn’t my calling. I swore I was never going to get out of it. I tried quitting three times and failed. The first time I had my resignation in hand and was told the boss was out of the office and so I took that as a sign from the Lord and accepted to stay. The second time my boss was there but then my husband started working in the same company I was in, and I had to rethink resigning over feeling it might look bad. Finally on my third try my boss told me, “You can’t quit Sheila, you can’t afford it. You just bought a house!” I wept and cried and wailed before the Lord and truly believed He was hard-hearted and had forgotten about me. But then one bright fall afternoon, after five and half years of working there, when I finally decided I’m not going to complain today but will just be thankful to Him and thank Him in advance for getting me out of there, I kid you not, He took me out! I don’t think I’ll ever forget that day. There I was trying to be thankful, remembering the Lord’s goodness in my life ten minutes before quitting time when the boss buzzes me to come in and see her. It was review time for my department and I’ve been waiting for my turn and so I didn’t think much about her calling me. On the way to her office, out of a habit I said to the Lord in my heart, “Lord, when are you going to get me out of here?”
A few minutes later the Lord answered me. I couldn’t believe it when I sat down with my supervisor and my boss. They started to tear up and tell me that they are forced into letting me and some other employees go because of downsizing. Strictly an economic decision, they all love me and my work, but they need to reduce expenses. If I need a recommendation not to hesitate to call and they will gladly give it. They hope that this will be an avenue for something wonderful that will come in the end. Are they kidding me? This is so much better than quitting! I felt like I was going to jump out of my skin. I couldn’t believe it! Is this really happening at last? Am I dreaming? Oh, Father You are so good to me! Oh, this is it! Please don’t let anyone come in here and tell me this is all a dream! Thank You, Jesus! That day was one of my happiest moments in my life I will never forget. Every time I think of that day I laugh. It makes me so happy. I can’t help but love the Lord and thank Him for giving that day to me. I thank Him all the time for delivering me and setting me on another path.
Many times the only way to battle with disappointments and discouragements in our lives is in remembering the Lord’s goodness to us in times past. We won’t always have it easy and running smoothly. Sometimes Satan gets so thick and heavy on us, making us doubt God’s goodness in our lives. He wants us more than anything to question the Lord’s ways of doing things and His ways of loving us. Satan wants us to turn against God. This is his way of hurting the Lord. When we don’t want to believe in the Lord anymore, the enemy has won us. He has become successful in turning our hearts against the Lord.
The only way to fight against all kinds of discouragements and doubts and fears is to remember God’s goodness: What has He done in my life? Surely the Lord has done many wonderful things. And if you don’t have a lot of those yet, then continue to trust Him and believe Him so you can add to your happy moments with Him to carry you through the next trial. Also start to get into a habit of reading the Bible and especially the Bible stories of old. It is also one of the amazing ways I boost myself up and encourage myself in the Lord, remembering God’s goodness that He has done for His people. I recall Joseph and his trials and how even though he was sold and betrayed by his brothers, in the end the Lord ended up lifting him up before them. I remember Noah and the flood and how the Lord saved him and his family from the flood that flooded the world. Surely, if I remain steadfast in my hope and trust in the Lord, I too will be saved from getting wiped away from the evil that is happening in this life. I love remembering Daniel and the lion’s den, how the Lord shut the mouths of the lions so that they wouldn’t hurt Daniel. I even remember King David’s famous quote: I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. {Psalm 37:25} Remembering God’s goodness and faithfulness in our lives, and what He’s done for His people are ways to overcome the enemy’s discouragements and attacks. Satan can’t fight against these truths. When we recall them out loud to the Lord or in our thoughts to Him, and thank Him for being so good to us and to His people, for coming through for Joseph, Noah, Daniel and King David, on and on, the enemy has no arms left. He will go away. He has no other choice but to go away. God’s word and faithfulness are too much for him when we bring them against him. Not only that, when we thank the Lord for His goodness, this is bringing God closer to us. The Lord loves this. His presence will come down and douse all spirits of discouragement and discontent. He will lift our spirits up and bring us closer to Him.
There is no denying life’s way of dealing with us can really stink sometimes. Even the Lord tells us that there will be tribulations. He said, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. {John 16:33} Another scriptures states, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” {2 Timothy 3:12} We will go through heartaches and tribulations, trials and even persecutions. But choosing to live godly because of the Lord is choosing to be successful in this life. Choosing to trust in Him is choosing to love Him. The rain (or trials) will fall on both the just and the unjust alike the Bible states, so you might as well choose to have God on your side. Not only will He be there for you to comfort you when you’re suffering and see you through every trial, He will also reward you with an eternal life with Him. What have you got to lose? I say that’s a win-win situation for us all the way!
Instead of cringing and dreading the next blow of disappointment or heartache in our lives, let’s arm ourselves with the memories of God’s goodness. Start writing your testimonies down and taking them into remembrance no matter how small and insignificant they may be. Commit to memory those wonderful stories of God’s goodness in the Bible. Remember His word and His promises that He has spoken to us and to His people in times past. Because when life hits the fan, those wonderful memories and faithful dealings in His word will become indispensable to us. When the enemy is blasting his horn and beating his drums at us like a bad clown in a circus, we can stay calm and victorious. We can start tapping into those banks of victories from our past and drown out Satan’s accusation of God’s goodness against us. We can tell him, “Get off Satan, I’ve been through this way before and the Lord has come through for me. He has come through for me before He will come through for me again. He never fails, lies, or changes. The Lord is faithful.”
“For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” {Romans 1:17}
“I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.” {Psalm 77:11}
“Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth.” {Psalm 105:5}
“No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.” {Isaiah 54:17}
Prayer
I thank you so much Lord Jesus for having You in my life, for always being there faithful and true. I thank You Father that You never change. You remain the same yesterday, today and will be forever. Thank You so much for Your word Lord and for coming through for me again and again in my life’s trials and tribulations. Thank You for always comforting me in the midst of my heartaches and disappointments. I love You ever so much Lord Jesus. Thank You Father for You!
Lord, I pray for Your grace and mercy upon us today. Please Father, draw us to You again with Your Spirit and help us to lift our soul up to You. Help us to remember the wonderful things You have done for us in times past. Help us to recall them and thank You again for them. Help us Lord to believe that as You have come through for us before, You will surely come through for us again today. Help us Father to love You until the end. I pray in Your most wonderful name, Jesus. Thank You, Father. Amen.
