I hope & trust this post finds you all having a great day!
So what do you do on a Thursday night when you can't fall asleep and you know you gotta get up early to write a Happy Friday?!?! Do any of you do this? I go to bed around 8:00 p.m. I figure I can get 7 - 7 1/2 hours of sleep. Toss turn, it's now 9:00 p.m. O.k., 6 - 6 1/2 hours of sleep. At 10:00 p.m. I think, o.k., 5 - 5 1/2...oh forget this!!! It is now 10:14 p.m. and I am going to write Happy Friday now! :)
I am currently reading The Warrior's Soul: 5 Powerful Principles To Make You A Stronger Man of God by Jerry Boykin & Stu Weber. This morning I read something that really struck me. I want to share a few excerpts with you and then give you a few reminders.
As for the excerpts:
"Those who forget will wallow in a miserably repetitive cycle."
"The Bible is replete with directives reinforcing the absolute necessity that we remember."
"Just before our God took Caleb and Israel into the Promised Land, He sat them down in the desert and gave them a straightforward lesson with a hard slap to the blackboard:
All the commandments that I am commanding you today you
shall be careful to do...You shall remember all the way which
the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness...Beware
that you do not forget the Lord your God...[or] your heart
will become proud...But you shall remember the Lord your
God...and if you ever forget...you will surely perish.
- Deuteronomy 8:1-2, 11, 14 18 - 19"
"In the Old Testament the Hebrew words translated 'memory,' 'remember,' or 'remembrance' are all related to a single root word: zakar. The word zakar refers to a multifaceted process: (1) mentally bringing something to mind, (2) the reflection inherent in that mindfulness, and (3) the corresponding behavioral act appropriate to that memory. In other words, to remember biblically is to recall-reflect-react."
"Virtually everything of spiritual consequence depends upon memory. In forgetting our souls shrink, our dreams wither, our hearts break, and Christ's kingdom suffers."
"So what can you personally do about all this? Choose to remember! Memory (yes, history!) is a great gift of God to enable us to learn from the past, to live well today, and to plan effectively for the future."
This all made so much sense to me! As I have shared in Happy Friday's in the past, I have noticed in my life that my greatest struggles come when I feel I have to control everything. It is only when I, yes Friends, remember that God is ultimately control that I am free to be the best that He has created me to be.
With this in mind, I wanted to share a few reminders with y'all.
Do you remember Luke 12: 6 - 7?
Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.
Do you remember Jeremiah 29: 11?
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Do you remember John 3: 16 - 17?
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Do you remember Romans 8: 28?
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Do you remember Ephesians 2: 10?
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Do you remember 2 Corinthians 5: 17?
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
Do you remember Isaiah 41: 10?
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Do you remember James 4: 10?
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
Do you remember 2 Timothy 3: 16?
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
Do you remember Proverbs 3: 5 - 6?
Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him, and He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way].
Do you remember Philippians 4: 13?
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Do you remember Matthew 22: 37 - 39? (Come on!!! We just talked about this last week!)
Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself."
Do you remember Proverbs 4: 23?
Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
Do you remember Ephesians 4: 29?
Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
So what would our lives look like Friends if we truly remembered these things every day? Perhaps more importantly, what if we lived like we remembered these things every day? That is my hope, challenge and prayer for each of us this week...that we would live like we remember.
Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can contact me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.
Have a great day, a wonderful weekend and please cherish your precious families.
Kev
