A Letter of Remembrance
By Emil C. Liko

The New Year, 2003, is upon us! Last year's rallies and rides were fun while they lasted. So many things have come and gone. People, places, and events are now only memories. But the things of the past year have forever enhanced or changed our lives: prayers that were answered, the Lord's promises brought to fruition, God's hand moving in the midst of our everyday circumstances.

Throughout the Old Testament, God's people built altars as remembrances of the Lord's favor, guidance, and unconditional love towards them. Whenever they came upon one of these altars, it jarred their memory to recount the hand of the Lord in their lives. Even in the bad times, it reminded them of God's love that got them from where they were once, to where they were now.

Altars in our lives still provide us with truth and promises of the Lord that no one, not even Satan, can take from us. "Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live." (Deuteronomy 4:9)

Begin making altars of remembrance throughout your life. And soon you will see a road map of the path along which you've come in your daily walk with Him. It helps us to see that God truly has ordained a route for us through each and every occurrence in our lives.

The Bible clearly states the heart of God about recording specific instances to help us recall. "Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A book of remembrance was written in His presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored His name." (Malachi 3:16)

"Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of His [Desert] disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name." (John 20:30-31)

Remembering what God has said and done gives Jeremiah 29:11 new meaning to us: "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." God's Word gives us a hope for the future in times of uncertainty. When a scripture leaps out at you, the Lord has spoken it to your heart and has made it come alive to you. The spoken word is called Rhema.

So many times Karen and I have gone back through our Bibles to the Rhema words we had highlighted and dated and through our journals to re-read the accounts of His blessings. These were our "altars," reassuring us that God was truly in the midst of our circumstances no matter how bleak they seemed.

The enemy would love for us to feel that God has abandoned us in difficult times, but God's Word is true: He will never leave us or forsake us. Things become so much easier when we know that God is still orchestrating our lives.

Too often we only remember the bad things that have happened to us throughout the year. Here is a fresh start, for a New Year: Take some time to reflect on the year 2002 through God's eyes. What did He show you during the year? What did He speak to you? How did He answer your prayers or provide for you? The Lord has so much to say to you and so much love to bestow upon you. Do not miss even one opportunity to recount His goodness, His grace, and His mercy upon you.

Now, where does God want your focus in 2003? Ask Him. He has such great and exciting things to tell you!
"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him." (I Corinthians 2:9)