Remember God’s Provision

On the corner of a bookshelf in our living room sits an ordinary jar, jammed full of white strips of paper. There’s nothing remarkable about the jar. Just clear glass and an ill-fitting lid, but inside—inside there are countless reasons to burst into God-directed praise.

As each new year begins, we start our annual assignment: to write down what God does for us, no matter how seemingly insignificant, and put it in the jar. Daily things. Average things, maybe. But seen through the eyes of faith they become something more significant, opportunities to see God at work: providing, sustaining, responding, comforting…

As the year draws to a close, we set aside time to empty the jar and read what we wrote. Resurfaced memories lead to wide smiles and occasionally, a few tears. Though each paper describes the lives we ourselves lived, it’s like re-watching a favorite movie. “Oh yeah, I forgot God did that.” “God really answered that prayer!” “That was such a gift.”

Though there are always things we miss, this simple discipline of writing down when we perceive God’s hand at work and reading them aloud to each other helps us see our days more clearly. To worship God more freely. There has never been a year when the jar is empty. There never will be. God’s faithfulness is as sure as the sunrise, as constant as the little jar standing at attention.

In the bottom of a river stands a tower of large stones. There’s nothing remarkable about them really, just minerals bound together and stacked on top of each other, but inside—inside they hold the stories of a God who rescues His people again and again and again.

The story of the stones recorded in Joshua might be a familiar one. But as you looked at these verses again, did you notice the size of the stones?

Each of you lift a stone onto his shoulder, one for each of the Israelite tribes, so that this will be a
sign among you. 
—Joshua 4:5

These were no pebbles! No, these stones required heaving. They required effort. The backs of the chosen men were bent under the weight of these remembrance stones as they carried them across their shoulder blades. Such significance was required to build a monument to God’s glory that would stand for generations.

Though remembering the goodness of God is evident, it’s not easy. It requires looking back instead of always pushing forward, slowing down instead of running at warp speed, seeing rightly that the blessings our lives hold are gifts of grace not trophies of our own talents and efforts.

But remembrance is worth it. When we take time to remember all that God has done, we set our hearts on gratitude, focus our lives on finding joy in the highs and lows, and fill our homes with praise even in grief. So set out the jar. Build the tower. Sing the songs. Do the hard work of remembering, and don’t stop until Christ comes.