| “Now stand here quietly before the LORD as I remind you of all the great things the LORD has done for you and your ancestors.” – 1 Samuel 12:7 |
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| A DAY TO REMEMBER On a historical note, I would think that most of us know that December 7th is a very important date in history going back to December 7, 1941. President Franklin Roosevelt said that December 7, 1941, would be a day that would live “in infamy as the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by Naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.” Years later there are still solemn moments of remembrance on December 7. As President Roosevelt predicted, December 7, 1941, continues to live on. Considering our verse to DATE on December 7 (12/7), we have in 1 Samuel 12:7 a day in which God’s people were to PAUSE and be reminded of all the GREAT things the LORD had done. The Prophet Samuel called God’s people together for a “family talk.” As part of the family talk, he took them down memory lane by REMINDING them of all the GREAT THINGS God had done in the past and what He was doing in the present. He wanted them to CONSIDER God’s great and miraculous actions that had been done on their behalf! Place yourself in this Biblical moment. Can you imagine some of the stories Samuel would have told to remind them of what God had done in the PAST? Can you imagine the stories he would have told to remind them of how God was presently working? Learning from 1 Samuel 12:7 I would tell you it is good every now and then to sit quietly and reflect on the GREAT THINGS the LORD has done for you and others!! It is good to review the past, bringing up precious memories and it is good to reflect on the present, staying aware of what God is doing today! In doing this I think you will find welling up in you a spirit of rejoicing about the past and the present and a resolve for the future to keep trusting God. By the way – Our calendar in the USA provides the opportunity on Thanksgiving Day to practice what we are learning from 1 Samuel 12:7. I have also found that the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day is also a great time to sit quietly and reflect and give thanks for all that God has done over the past year. Of course, it is a great time to write out resolutions and new dreams for the coming year, but it should be a time to look back over the past year before looking forward to a new year. I recommend that this is both personal and with family. Maybe it is possible that today you look ahead and schedule some time for a “family talk” before the end of the year! Verse to DATE the Word on December 7 (12/7) is I Samuel 12:7. It says “Now stand here quietly before the LORD as I, Samuel, remind you of all the great things the LORD has done for you and your ancestors.” Continue Strong by remembering the GREAT things God has done and is doing! And remember to DATE The WORD |