Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
The "they" in this verse refers to the mighty works, and these mighty works that God has done are filling the thoughts of the writer. I think many of us would be able to relate to this if we stop and consider the lineage of things that we've probably witnessed and experienced when it comes to the goodness of God.
Have you ever just stopped for a second and tried to think about all the ways that God has blessed you, that you've seen God's blessing pour out in someone else's situation? Maybe the stories you've heard about God's goodness unfolding in someone's life. If you go back and you consider story after story and instance after instance, you can't help but to be filled with hope and life.
Remembering the Works of God
At the end of the day, we know that this life presents trials and circumstances that are difficult to navigate, and what we need in the middle of difficult circumstances is a glimmer of hope. It's weird to think that sometimes the most hopeful thing we can think about for our future actually comes from something in the past.
To remember the works of God is to pull from behind us what will help us as we're moving forward. It's really counter intuitive, but when you stop and consider, it makes a lot of sense. I think about this verse often because it says that these good works are constantly in my thoughts. You and I know that there are plenty of things to worry about in life. There are plenty of circumstances that can feel overwhelming. They might even induce anxiety or worry. Maybe these things that we are considering might bring an air or a feeling of depression. In the middle of those seasons, it's not possible for us to just flip a switch and tell our brain to think differently than what we're thinking right now.
Conditioning Our Minds with Gratitude
What if we start to condition ourselves to fill our minds regularly with gratitude for what God has done? Maybe the good things God has done may not have been directly associated with our story. Maybe when we think back to the good works of God that have taken place around our lives, then we'll be able to be encouraged and filled with this sense that if God did it before, maybe He could do it again.
It's a big theme in the New Testament as well. What we're reading today comes from the Book of Psalms. When you read the gospel accounts of the life of Jesus over and over again, you see story after story of interactions with Christ. These stories, if taken individually, are magnificent in and of themselves.
When you collect them together and you think about how each story represents a challenge and a difficult place in someone else's journey, but over and over again, Jesus shows up, shows Himself to be true, and He brings deliverance, healing, and goodness. When we remember those stories, it brings encouragement for us knowing He can provide that for us as well.
