Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – September 27, 2017
Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus. Matthew 17:4-8
My memory fails me, but when I write down sweet moments with Jesus, I am able to memorialize meaningful memories. Here is an excerpt from my journal after encountering the Lord during a prayer walk on a blistering summer day: The cool water on this hot midmorning reminded me that only the Holy Spirit can fill my thirsty soul. I glanced down at the plastic water bottle in my hand and it said with bold branding, PURIFIED WATER!
Hallelujah the Spirit of God is pure in its elements and its application in my life. I burst out into spontaneous praise and adoration of Almighty God. (It is easier to sing loud when only my Savior is listening.) At any moment He waits to quench my spiritual thirst! Yes, God’s Gatorade, so to speak, is refreshing and reenergizes me to stay in the game of life, for His glory. However, I must drink, before I dehydrate from noise and busyness! This precious memory makes me smile.
Perhaps Peter desired to memorialize his moment of being transformed by the transfiguration of Jesus, 100% pure goodness exposed before his very eyes. This God moment for the disciples forever reminded them of the Lord of heaven’s love and favor on His son, Christ Jesus. He loved Him so that His followers would love and listen to Him–their Savior and Lord. God’s divine declaration caused them to fall prostrate in fear, but Jesus’ touch bid them to get up, unafraid. The holiness and goodness of God calls us to fear Him, but not be afraid of Him. We bow down in awe and look up for assurance, while our grateful prayer memorializes our moment with Jesus.
“When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the Lord above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying, “He is good; his love endures forever” (2 Chronicles 7:3).
How do you remember meaningful moments? Like me, you probably take a ton of photos that may remain forgotten on your phone. What if instead, you took a little time to organize your dozens of archived pictures around trips, events, and people. Upload them to a service like Snapfish and order a hardbound copy for your coffee table. A small investment of time and money for a huge reminder of good times, with good people enjoying God and life together. The half dozen times I navigated this process–a treasure of easily accessible memories were attractively created. Book formatted or framed photos are a valuable investment with a high return of joy and gratitude.
Why is it so important to recount what stirs our heart to gratitude and goodness? Because we forget the Lord’s faithfulness, His tender mercies and His generous gifts of life, liberty, and happiness. We need to see and feel what God has shown us to be truth and moved our hearts to become. Also, we capture meaningful memories for our children and grandchildren to remember the Lord’s legacy of love and holiness in their family lineage. What we talk about is heard in the moment, what we write down can be repeated and what we see in pictures can be explained. We engage as many senses as possible in experiencing God, so our experience of God grows richer. We memorialize meaningful memories, so we can remember the Lord’s great love and favor.
“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Laminations 3:22-23).
Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me be intentional to remember and celebrate Your great faithfulness in my life and family, in Jesus’ name, amen.Application
What meaningful event can I organize into a photo album and give as a gift?Related Reading
Psalm 45:17; Zephaniah 3:5; Mark 14:9; 2 Peter 1:13; Jude 1:17Post/Tweet today
We engage as many senses as possible in experiencing God, so our experience of God grows richer. #WisdomHunters #memoriesWorship Resource
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