What do you remember?

I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:

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. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”

Lamentations 3,19-24 (NIV)

The Psalmist wrote (Psalm 42,11): “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.”

It’s a fact: “many are the afflictions of the righteous” (Psalm 34,19) and Jesus said: “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16,33)

Yes, Jesus wants us to have peace and to be of good cheer (happy, hopeful, courageous) because, in Him, our victory is assured!

However, even long after victories, the memory of painful experiences can be a temptation for carnality.

The way the brain registers that fire burns, our soul can make conclusions that do not reflect the truth of God.

If unchecked, these “conclusions” that come in form of thoughts, can drag a person into error, sadness, depression and lifelessness.

“A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.” Matthew 12,35 (NIV)

It is so important to know the Word of God. Because how else would we be able to detect the lies of the enemy, or the deviations of our souls?

In Christ, we are not powerless and it’s our responsibility to guard our hearts and minds.

“The weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood]. Our weapons are divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10,4-5 AMP)

Pain should never be the lens through which we see life.

As children of God, our course is determined by the Almighty and All-sufficient God.

Circumstances, failures, weaknesses do not define who we are.

Our identity is in Christ. And in Him, we are more than conquerors and bold as lions.

Remember the Lord; remember His great love, His mercies and faithfulness toward you.

“And as she was having great difficulty in childbirth, the midwife said to her, “Don’t despair, for you have another son.” As she breathed her last—for she was dying—she named her son Ben-Oni [son of my sorrow]. But his father named him Benjamin [son of the right hand].” Genesis 35,18