testimonies of the heart.

Sorry its been so long everyone... my apologies... I thought it would be easier to keep this updated back in Canada... I was obviously wrong.

It’s been a whirlwind of a month complete with its emotional highs and lows as I’ve battled through some feelings of loneliness being away from my team, frustration with support raising and simply wondering whether I would ever feel ready to go back to Panama again, let along in less than two months. But as I’ve been reading through the word my bible reading plan has brought me to some books I haven’t read in a while and has really taught me something....

We need to remember the good things God has done in our lives!

All throughout the old testament and especially when the Israelites were in exile and finally as they were able to return to and rebuild Jerusalem, they were faced with obstacles upon obstacles as they opposed by the peoples of the land and even by their own tendencies to fall back into their paths of sin. But all throughout books like Ezra and Nehemiah the people were reminded by their prophets and leaders (Ezra and Nehemiah among them) off all the things that God had done for them, promised to them and delivered them from. Even throughout Isaiah you see reminders to the people to remember who god is and that He will not forsake them.

As I transitioned into some of the later psalms I saw this same trend of remembrance come out. Psalm 119 is laced with this ideal.

"Your testimonies are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart." (vs.111)

"Your testimonies are wonderful; therefore my soul keeps them." (vs.129)

"But you are near O Lord, and all your commandments are true. Long have I known from your testimonies that you founded them forever." (vs.151-152)

And the list could go on and on. I found a lot of strength from these verses as in the middle of my sorrow or despair I simply needed to look back and remember what the Lord had done in my life. All the times He's provided for me and provided in abundance, all the times He's guided me and kept me from stumbling and all the times He's simply showered blessing into my life because He loves me. I think that its in looking back that I'm able to deal with going forward.