Remembrance: Gaining Perspective
“Do you know when the mountain goats give birth”
Job 39:1
A familiar struggle had begun to pry open the emotion of discouragement. Honestly, I could have justified a pity party and sat down in a puddle of frustration. Then I began to ask “how have we not been able to rid ourselves of this struggle?”
This struggle is hard. I can see the generational origin and affects within our families. As I kicked around some negative thoughts, striving to make sense of it-out of nowhere a random thought came. “Count the number of beds you have”-I immediately knew this was the nudging of the Holy Spirit. So, I counted the number of beds I actually OWN–beds that I can sleep in on any given night. Then there are the countless hotel beds that have provided me with rest, thanks to our financial blessings, which allow us to travel around the world. I even have a swing bed on my porch where, on occasion, a leisurely nap is a gift.
No matter your lot in life, it is a beneficial exercise to count the blessings, even the simple ones like a bed or clean clothes. If that seems silly, maybe it is because we often take the simple blessings for granted. Friend, if that is you, then I invite you to visit a developing country and partake in some work there. Or study the characters of the Bible and find a remembrance of God's sovereignty over our lives and our world.
Even Job, one of my favorite books in the Bible, recognized the tremendous value of remembering the goodness and sovereignty of God in the midst of his misfortune. Job had lost everything–, his family and possessions– yet he was reminded of God’s sovereignty:
Job 38:4-7
“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone— while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?”
Job 38:12-13
“Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place, that it might take the earth by the edges and shake the wicked out of it?”
Job 39:1
“Do you know when the mountain goats give birth”
Job 39:26-27
“Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom and spread its wings toward the south? Does the eagle soar at your command and build its nest on high?”
Maybe today is a good day to ask yourself, “what simple things am I grateful for that I may take for granted? Can I reflect upon the blessings I have already received and be reminded of God's goodness in my life?” If this has prompted you to remember where in your life, despite challenges of this world, God has provided, I would love to hear from you.
Would you pray with me?
If this devotion has inspired you to reach out to someone you know, I would love to hear from you!