SCRIPTURE:
Psalm 78:5-8 He (God) established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers to teach to their children, that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments; and that they should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God. (emphasis mine)

DEVOTIONAL:
God repeatedly tells us to remember the things He has done. He commanded the Israelites to remember and then to rehearse those things they witnessed Him do. He told them to remember how He had freed them from Egypt, and to tell the stories to their children and their children’s children. He knew that they would eventually wander away from Him, that they would chase after other gods, but He wanted the truth of His works in their hearts and minds. When we have the truth of God’s goodness in our hearts and minds, even when we stray from God, that truth is still inside us. This is why it is so important to rehearse the things of God. Speak to yourself about the things you have seen God do. If you can’t think of anything personal, speak to yourself about the God of the Bible. Tell yourself the story of how God freed Israel from slavery in Egypt. Tell yourself of how God provided a sacrifice for Abraham and Isaac. Tell yourself the story of Joseph being sold into slavery by his brothers only to one day come to their rescue. Tell yourself the story of Jesus coming to earth as a baby, walking the roads of Israel, and one day, choosing to die on a cross for your sins. Tell yourself the story of how God resurrected Jesus three days later, and how Jesus appeared to His disciples and lived on the earth for another 40 days before ascending to the Father in heaven. Allow the truth of God’s word and His works to be in your heart, and on your lips. Tell these stories to your children or your parents, your coworkers and friends, your neighbors or anyone willing to listen. Doing this will boost your faith in God and help keep your hope rooted and grounded in Him.

PRAYER:
God, help me to have stories of You in my heart so that I am always ready to share them with the hurting world around me. Help me not stay quiet and miss opportunities to share Your love and Your hope with the people I do life with every day. When I have trouble remembering Your works, bring them to my mind. Help me read Your word with the eyes of my heart open to the truth of the miraculous works You have done. Don’t let me grow accustomed or too familiar with these stories to see and understand the power of the words I’m reading. Send people into my life to share miracle stories with, and let these stories remind me of Your goodness and faithfulness that has not changed.

READING PLAN:

• 1 Peter 4
• 1 Peter 5
• 2 Peter 1
• 2 Peter 2
• 2 Peter 3
• 1 John 1
• 1 John 2
• 1 John 3
• 1 John 4
• 1 John 5
• 2 John
• 3 John