267-Remembering a Beautiful and Joyful Life#
267-Remembering a Beautiful and Joyful Life
(JP Text Group - Organized by the Little Prince of Heaven)
The topic we are sharing is: Remembering a Beautiful and Joyful Life.
Isaiah 43:18-21,
18 Thus says the Lord: “Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. 19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. 20 The beasts of the field will honor Me, the jackals and the ostriches, because I give waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My people, My chosen. 21 This people I have formed for Myself; they shall declare My praise.”
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father! Thank You and praise You! Lord, You have given us wisdom, so that we do not think about the former things or the things of old, but rather think about the grace that Jesus Christ has given us, knowing that You will make a way for us in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. No matter what difficulties we encounter, You are with us, You will keep and help us. In this new week, I am willing to draw on Your strength, please lead me, let me be renewed in strength through Your words. In the name of the Lord Jesus, I pray, Amen!
When God created man, He gave man the ability to think independently. Our brains can remember many things, even events from childhood, but the Bible says that looking back at our lives is merely labor and sorrow. Why is that?
Is there nothing beautiful in life? Think carefully, what has left the deepest impression on you in your life? Are there more beautiful things or more terrible things? Why do we say that what remains is merely labor and sorrow? Because we quickly forget the beautiful things, while we can remember those that have harmed us. God gives us wisdom and memory to choose to think positively, of course, you can also think negatively.
Why does this happen now? After Adam and Eve sinned, human thinking was affected, making it particularly easy to be influenced by negative thoughts and to overlook beautiful things. Our brains have only developed one-tenth; we use this one-tenth to think about many negatives. Can life be beautiful?
Why do you cry when watching those tragic TV shows or movies? Because many times you feel that is you; you have had similar experiences, so when they are sad, you are sad too. Brothers and sisters, those who have accepted Jesus Christ should not live like this, yet many Christians still live in such a way.
Some research reports show that positive and negative memories are managed by different parts of the brain, and negative memories occupy more space, requiring more processing. Therefore, people easily recall more negative things, and negative memories have a greater impact on people than positive ones. After the sermon, I might be influenced by this.
For example, if a hundred people tell me, “You spoke really well today!” I don’t remember that, but after those hundred, someone says, “I didn’t understand anything you said today; you are the worst preacher I have ever heard.” I forget the hundred good comments and only remember the bad one, then I go home and start thinking: Am I really that terrible? Forgetting that there were a hundred who benefited. Why does this happen? As we said earlier, negative comments linger in our minds, and negative memories occupy most of the space in our brains.
Once you understand this, you must respond positively. When negative memories arise again, adjust your channel; do not replay them to avoid being hurt again. Many people do not understand this; after being hurt, they choose to replay everything from start to finish, constantly playing the attacks from those who hurt them, those images and words. Can they not be hurt?
Think about it; this kind of thing is most powerful in families. Perhaps it is your child, your mother-in-law, or your husband who has hurt you. Once you let it go, the memory is deep. Some people do not just replay it once; they can replay it many times in a day. When this person returns home, how will you view them? The result is obvious; relationships will worsen.
So many people do not understand how their anger and grievances arise, saying, “They hurt me so much; it’s so unfair. Why am I so unlucky?” They keep expressing these negative things. You need to switch to a victorious channel. If you keep replaying those unfortunate images, you cannot enter into the abundance of promises and joy that God has prepared for you.
Everyone has experienced failures and setbacks; these memories will indeed keep appearing, but you must learn to shift your thinking. It’s like a TV program; if the program you are watching is all about ads selling medicine, what do you do? Do you smash the TV? You probably don’t. At most, you turn off the TV and stop watching it. Is there anyone who watches it while getting angry, making themselves sick? It’s simple; if you don’t like this program, switch to one you do like.
We have the right to choose. God’s words, the words of Christ, will always bring us joy. Why do you have to play the devil’s words? That is of no benefit to you. You need to choose to change the channel, to change your thinking. Amen! Thank You and praise the Lord! You are a child of God, not without the power of choice. If you keep recalling those pains and constantly discussing those matters with others, you are undoubtedly reopening your wounds. This may be difficult, and you might say it’s unfair.
Reflect on your life; has God at least shown you grace once? Has anyone ever said, “I have believed in the Lord my whole life and have never experienced grace; God has never brought me joy”? As long as you believe in Him, it is impossible that He has never given you joy, peace, or miracles. Surely there has been; think carefully. At the very least, you will remember a time when God lifted you up, protected you, healed you, or brought peace to your thoughts. Think of God’s grace upon you; remember God’s goodness.
Each of us makes mistakes and has done things we regret, but these things should not exist in your heart; they should not occupy an important place. I have often told everyone, you cannot prevent birds from flying over your head, but you can prevent them from nesting on your head. This is something everyone can do. You cannot prevent negative thoughts, but you can learn to change the channel.
You should often remember the joy of doing the right thing, the joy of God being with you, and the words He has spoken to you, and you will be filled with joy. Some people are unhappy because they remember all the wrong things in their lives, which appear like a running account, item by item. The devil will use these things to condemn you, to accuse you. You need to remember God’s words: the old has passed away; all has become new. God no longer remembers yesterday’s matters; today is the best day prepared by God, a beautiful day. Hallelujah!
Hebrews 10:15-18,
15 But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before: 16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds, I will write them.” 17 Then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” 18 Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.
Remember one thing: how does God view your sins now? He does not remember them anymore.
Many people always read this passage and start to explain it negatively, with condemnation and accusation: If that’s the case, can’t people just sin at will? On the contrary, a person who knows they are deserving of death and knows that God no longer remembers their sins will be very grateful to God. Hallelujah!
We live under such grace, so do not keep thinking poorly of yourself, regretting not spending more time with your children as they grew up, lamenting your lack of strength, lack of discipline, or how you had so many failures in the past. You need to tell yourself: God’s grace is upon you now; you are a new creation. The past cannot represent your present, much less your future. Everything about you is no longer the same. Amen!
Someone tells you about your past wrong choices, but you need to think about how many right choices you have made. Everyone makes mistakes; do not always focus on those wrong things. Look at the grace of God upon you; relying on God’s grace can lead to correct choices. You have many strengths because you are created by God, you bear His image and likeness.
Never say, “I am worthless and can do nothing.” You can say this before God, but do not always say it to yourself. Discover what kind of gifts God has given you; everyone has them. Amen! Stop looking at your shortcomings; start focusing on your strengths. You need to recognize your new identity and authority in Christ. What you could not do in the past, you can do now because you have the power of Jesus Christ. Therefore, do not define your present self by past viewpoints. The Bible always encourages us to remember His grace and His salvation; God does not want us to keep remembering our failures and sins.
Let’s take a look at what God wanted the Israelites to remember when He saved them from Egypt.
Exodus 12:13-14,
13 Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. When I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. 14 So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance.
If you were one of the people whom God saved from Egypt, what would you remember? Many people have different reactions after reading Exodus. There was a little girl who, at that time, did not believe in Jesus, and after watching Exodus, she said to me, “Your God is really cruel; He killed the Egyptians…”
She saw God’s power, but she viewed it as God being so cruel: to get His people out, He killed all the Egyptians and destroyed their nation. You see God’s redemption; Hallelujah! Through these scriptures, you need to see: God wants to save us, and no one can stop it.
You need to see redemption from this, not slaughter. Brothers and sisters, if you see God as so powerful and casually killing people, you might pray, “Lord, kill my enemy too; let hailstones crush him.” You forget that God is a God of salvation. Amen!
In the Old Testament, God commanded the Israelites to establish certain festivals, one reason being to remember God’s works and His salvation. During these festivals, they would put down their work, come together to celebrate, and recount God’s grace, God’s salvation, God’s power, and how He saved them from slavery, how He defeated their enemies, and how He kept them along the way. What God wanted them to remember were these things; the center of the festival should be our Lord.
Just like our festivals, if only the festival remains and God is gone, then the festival is meaningless. Whether it is Thanksgiving, Easter, or Christmas, these festivals are meant to remind us of the salvation God has given us, the grace God has bestowed upon us. If centered on God, the festival is meaningful. Amen!
2 Peter 1:15-18,
15 Moreover, I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my decease. 16 For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17 For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” 18 And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.
Why does Peter always have hope in God? During the three and a half years Peter followed Jesus, there was one event he could never forget. Do you know what it is? It was on the Mount of Transfiguration when Peter was almost crazy: “Lord, it is good for us to be here; let us make three tabernacles.”
How to make them? He probably couldn’t even remember how to build a tabernacle. At that moment, he didn’t even know what he was saying. That voice from heaven left an unforgettable mark on Peter’s life, so he says here: I will be diligent to remind you not to forget this. We may not have experienced it, but surely there has been a moment in your life when you had a direct encounter with the Lord, or He personally spoke some words to you. These words will keep you; when you are weak, remembering what God has said to you will help you stand up again.
What did Peter rely on? He relied on the voice he personally heard from heaven saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Those were words spoken to Jesus. Only when each of us has a direct experience with God can we truly believe. If you say your experiences are very few, that’s okay; you can seek them. In your life, you can have personal encounters with God.
I have had such experiences in my life, though different from Peter’s. It was in my lowest and most helpless moments that I went to church, and God reminded me of the content after John 21:15, where Jesus asked Peter three times, “Do you love Me?” At that time, I thought I loved the Lord very much, but after struggling in the world, I was battered and bruised. When I arrived at the church, what I heard was this passage, and at that moment, I cried like a child before God, realizing that I was not worthy to say I loved Jesus; it was He who had always loved me.
At that time, Jesus asked me, “Do you love Me more than these?” I knew what He was referring to: wealth, status, reputation—do you love Me more than these? During those three years, I experienced all of this; I saw the ups and downs of life. Many wealthy and poor people’s lifestyles no longer attracted me. At that moment, I knew the Lord loved me. Therefore, in my service, no matter how great the setbacks I encounter or how much I want to give up, I remember the Lord Jesus asking me, “Do you love Me more than these?” Is there no temptation of wealth today? Yes, but so far, it cannot shake my faith. I cannot give up my service for money, nor can I abandon my current service for a certain status because I know that is the vision God has personally given me.
At the end of his life, Peter tells us, “You must always remember these things; we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The four Gospels speak of the power of our Lord Jesus Christ and His coming. Peter emphasizes that these are not cunningly devised fables but that we have seen His power with our own eyes. He speaks this to encourage us to believe in Him and to often remember these words in the Bible. Hallelujah!
Whenever we think of God’s words, we are always filled with faith and peace. Amen! If you always remember those setbacks, failures, and hurts, you might be afraid to do anything. If you can change the content of your memory and start remembering the moments of victory from today, your life will rise to a higher level. Your situation may be very difficult now, or you may encounter some obstacles, but if you can remember God’s power, you will not say, “I am finished.”
I also hope that everyone does not say “I am finished” like the world does; you should say “It is finished” like Jesus. These two words are the same in English, “It’s finished,” which you can also understand as “It is done, it is completed.” Amen!
It depends on how you view your current life. In the eyes of the world, death is the end, but Jesus says that death is merely a beginning. Many people also say that the end of man is the beginning of God, and that is also true. If you say, “Lord! I really have no way out; I have exhausted all my methods.”
God says, “My way is possible.” So you should say, “Lord! You have helped me before; I believe You will help me again. You have healed me in the past; I also believe You will surely heal me this time. You have shown me grace before; You will surely show me grace again.” This is David’s attitude.
Let me share a passage of scripture with you. Many people know the story of David fighting Goliath; many children have a strong impression of this story. Today, many marketing studies also use this example, saying it is about small overcoming big. In fact, we are not talking about that; we are talking about how David viewed his enormous enemy. The Goliath he faced was a giant twice his size. You can imagine: such a large enemy, fully armored, a warrior since childhood.
This proves that he is strong in every aspect. David? When these two people are placed on the battlefield, does this scene not seem extremely uncoordinated? From a human perspective, it is simply impossible. Goliath is well-trained, well-equipped, and experienced. The Israelites were terrified and did not dare to fight Goliath for forty days. What could a small shepherd like David do? But let’s see how David viewed his environment.
First, let’s look at 1 Samuel 17:32-37. 32 David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” 33 And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.” 34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, 35 I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard and struck and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37 Moreover, David said, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!”
What do we see through these verses? First, let’s see if David has confidence in this battle. Where does his confidence come from? From God’s repeated deliverance in the past, so he is not afraid of the current enemy. I am now letting you shift your thinking; always think of how God has saved me time and again, healed me time and again. This current problem, God can solve it just the same. Did David think about this? He did not describe the current enemy as “the greatest enemy I have ever encountered in my life,” which would have ended it, and he would have lost confidence.
He does not look at these things; he believes that our Lord’s power is always greater than his. Although Saul did not encourage him, saying, “You cannot go and fight that Philistine because you are too young,” he looked at the fact that they had all failed and did not dare to fight him. “Are you brave enough to go up?” He looked at the enemy’s past achievements. Is this not what the enemy wants you to see? The devil wants you to see how many times you have failed, been weak, and been humiliated in the past. If you always think of these, do you think you can overcome? You will always be timid.
Goliath may indeed have been very powerful in the past, being tall and trained since childhood. He said, “Come on! I have defeated so many enemies in the past… come on! Let me take your head off too!”
When you hear that, you might think: Yes! He has defeated so many enemies in the past. Do not be intimidated by his achievements; think about how your Lord has saved you in the past. What David said to Saul, you need to think carefully. First, David said, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him,” because he knows God’s power is greater.
Then David said to Goliath: “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.” Whose is greater? Your spear may be taller than me, but what does that matter? Is God’s power not greater? David’s focus was always on God. Amen!
He also had confidence and experience. He said, “My Lord has saved me time and again, so I am not afraid of him.” David describes the times when God was with him and saved him. Your servant has killed both lion and bear; brothers and sisters, can an ordinary person defeat a lion and a bear? No, David could have such great confidence because he had to rely on God in the wilderness. If Goliath were in the wilderness, do you think he would rely on God to kill the lion and bear?
He would not need to rely on God because he was already strong enough. This is why God gives grace to the weak and humble, because they cannot do it, so they must rely on God. Because David was too young, when the lion and bear came in the wilderness, he could only rely on the Lord: “Lord! Give me wisdom to kill it.” He could not take a sword and kill it; he could not defeat it. So, was David always practicing his slingshot skills? He would throw a stone to stun the lion and bear before killing them.
David knew that he was never relying on his own strength. David saw very clearly in the spiritual realm that this uncircumcised Philistine was defying the armies of the living God. Saul saw his warriors as useless, but David saw: This is God’s army; the commander is God; I am merely fighting on behalf of God.
Whenever you encounter difficulties, adjust your thinking to be like David’s. Think about how God was with you, leading you to overcome sickness and difficulties in the past; this will give you confidence. So David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” This is where David’s true confidence lies. You need to keep this sentence in your heart: The Lord who saved you from all troubles in the past can also lead you out of today’s troubles.
After saying this, Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.” This is the right thing to say. If we adjust our frequency correctly, we will not fear anything. David remembered that God was always with him, bringing him victory in the past. Of course, David must also have negative things in his mind.
Was David a well-liked person in his family? Not at all. Did his brother treat him well? Not at all. His father did not treat him well either; perhaps his father had long forgotten about this son. When Samuel came to his house with the anointing oil to anoint one of the children as king, his father called all the other children over but did not think of David. What kind of child had David become at home? Later, when Samuel asked his father, “Do you have any more children?” only then did he remember there was one out in the wilderness tending sheep. Samuel said to hurry and call him back.
In such a situation, you know God has anointed you, but how do you view your father? If it were you, could you get over it? “They asked around, and only then did you remember me; you forgot about me.” If he always remembered these things, his relationship with his father would surely be bad. What about his brother?
His father said, “Now take this bread and deliver it to your brothers.” Then he went. How did his brothers speak to him? “What have you done with those few sheep in the wilderness? Why have you come here?” Brothers and sisters, in such a family, this should not be a coincidence, right? Perhaps it has always been like this since childhood. If you think of these things, and your brothers are looking at you with disdain: “You are just asking for death; how embarrassing!” If you see these and think of these negatives, you will have no confidence in defeating Goliath.
What I want to say is that David is just like us; he has had too many negative experiences in his life. However, David understood the spiritual principle; he did not think about the negatives and failures. He knew that these setbacks and hurts would stop him from moving forward. He chose to believe that God was with him and that God would surely help and save him. It is this kind of faith that taught David how to rely on God throughout his life.
If David did not have God’s words, how would he live? Now it is about defeating Goliath. People say good days have come, but have they really come? His brothers might hate him even more for stealing their thunder. Now that King Saul sees him defeating Goliath, he should be very happy, right? Instead, he began to envy him and later started to chase him. His life was like he said, like a frightened bird, afraid everywhere. The psalms he wrote began in a very harsh environment, but in the end, he always focused on God. Thank the Lord!
Many people may have experiences like David. David once said, “The wicked eat well and die without pain, but I look like a bird being chased, flying back and forth.” But he finally said, “But I went into the house of the Lord and saw their end; I understood that You truly brought them down to destruction.”
David entered the house of God and understood everything. Brothers and sisters, perhaps you are currently fighting against giants like Goliath. Your method of victory must be like David’s. Do not always think, “It’s impossible; I’m finished.” You should think: This is Jesus’ battle; He has already defeated the enemy, so He gives me strength, and I can surely overcome this difficulty.
1 John 4:4, Little children, you are of God, and have overcome them; because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
Who is this speaking of? Two spirits: the Holy Spirit in you and the evil spirit or the devil’s power in the world. But now I want to tell you, you are of God and have overcome them. Is this not speaking of Jesus? We belong to Jesus; Jesus has already defeated the devil, so what is in you is greater than what is in the world. Hallelujah!
Although he looks like Goliath, what does that matter? He is merely a big figure that cannot withstand even a small stone. In the prophecies of the end times, King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream of a very tall statue. How was that statue crushed in the end?
A stone not made by human hands came from somewhere and struck the feet of that statue, resulting in the head, body, and legs being completely crushed. This world and everything in it will pass away. You might say you are the golden head shining brightly, and that is correct; it is very glorious. But one day it will disappear. Only that stone will last forever, and that stone symbolizes the power of our Lord Jesus Christ. So do not worry; although that statue is tall, it will be crushed by a stone.
The name of Jesus surpasses all. In the past, when the Israelites had significant events, they liked to set up a memorial or use a stone to establish a covenant, pointing to that stone: Let’s make a covenant here. Why use these things? Because they do not change. From then on, they would record some things on that memorial stone.
Isaiah 43:19, Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
In the wilderness, what you need most is a road, right? God will make a way for you. In the desert, what people need most is water; God has opened rivers for you. This is to tell you: Do not look at your current environment as if there is no way out; it doesn’t matter. You need to think about how God has helped you in the past; He will surely make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert now. Because He will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert to give drink to My people and My chosen.
You might say, “I seem to have never experienced these.” Do you believe what is said in Exodus? Has God ever opened rivers in the wilderness? After Moses struck the rock, did water not flow out like rivers? Thank and praise the Lord! There was originally no road in the wilderness; it was God who led the Israelites through a path. This is our Lord. In life, many times there seems to be no way; our Lord will surely make a way for you. So at any time, do not get your focus wrong; do not change the channel incorrectly.
You need to remember how God has kept you, blessed you, and lifted you up… Reflect on the moments of victory, remember the beautiful things God has accomplished, and peace and joy will fill you, and faith will arise. These promises can help you become strong. Amen!
2 Corinthians 1:10, Who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us.
This passage mentions three things: the past, the present, and the future—yesterday, today, and tomorrow, encompassing all the events of your life. How do we understand this passage? Think of the past, face the present, and have hope for the future. He has delivered us from so great a death; you can think about how God saved you in the past. Perhaps it was a prayer or a rescue that made you believe God will still save you. This proves that at this moment, you may be in trouble, but when you remember God’s past salvation, you will have faith in God now.
And we trust that He will still deliver us in the future. How will God save us in the future? No matter how great the troubles you encounter tomorrow, God will surely save you. The greatest salvation is that He will completely save us from this world. Amen! Thank and praise the Lord!
When we discover these things, we need to write them down. In the past, every Israelite patriarch had a staff. In the Old Testament, the Israelites had to carry a staff when they went out because they were nomadic people and often migrated. So they were accustomed to carving important events and dates on their staffs; that was their personal record.
For example, think about how valuable Moses’ staff became after he crossed the Red Sea. He would carve on it: On such and such a day, the Lord opened the Red Sea for us and led us through; all the Egyptians were drowned. That date would be recorded on it. After a few days, the Lord turned the bitter water into sweet water on a certain day. On another day, the Lord led us to a rock, and I struck the rock, and water flowed out of the rock.
Imagine that when Moses was old, his staff was filled with records of God’s repeated deliverance. That was a staff of authority. Every time he raised that staff, he saw the records of God’s repeated deliverance. For example, when he prayed to part the Red Sea, God said to Moses, “What is in your hand? Why do you cry out to Me?” Moses said, “It is the staff.” God said, “Stretch out your staff over the Red Sea.”
Perhaps when Moses stretched out his staff over the Red Sea, he saw the records of God’s repeated deliverance on it. God had used that staff to turn the waters of Egypt into blood; these events were vivid in his mind, and the time was not long ago. So every time he saw these, his faith would arise, and he would begin to pray: “Lord! You have saved me in the past; I believe You will surely save me from this trouble.”
God heard his prayer and then parted the Red Sea for him to pass through. He gained another miracle that could be recorded. At that time, there were no notebooks or cameras to take pictures; he carved these things on his staff. This staff became his authority and also became his faith. Amen!
Brothers and sisters, can you record the past deliverance God has given you? If we forget, our brains mostly store how many illnesses we have had. After believing in Jesus, we have not received anything from God! This leads to that conclusion. It is not that God has not saved you; it is that you have forgotten. Or when you encounter difficulties, you might say, “Lord! Where have You gone?”
Every time Moses picked up that staff, he saw, “God is right beside me.” He had once shepherded with that staff, and later that staff underwent a transformation. We can reflect that in the past, that staff might have recorded: Water once flowed from this rock; that day I was almost thirsty to death, but the rock brought forth water for my sheep to drink; or today I lost a sheep, and today how many sheep were born…
Perhaps his staff recorded all these things, but that staff had once changed when he encountered God. God said, “Throw your staff on the ground.” He threw the staff on the ground, and it turned into a snake. Then God told him to pick it up by the tail, and it turned back into a staff. The Bible says: Moses took the staff of God and went out. Amen!
This proves that all the negative things recorded on that staff disappeared, turning it into a new staff, the staff of God. From then on, you should remember what God has done for you. Hallelujah!
Your memory is also a staff; it depends on what you store in it. Before believing in Jesus, you stored all those trivial matters: how my mother-in-law wronged me, how my husband wronged me…
You remember all these, and every time you think of them, your heart feels bad, and you can even get heart disease from anger. But when you come before God, your identity has changed; God has washed away all your past. You have become a new person, a completely new person, a person without past negative things.
Before God, all your sins are no longer remembered. The you standing before God is a pure person like Jesus. What remains in your memory? Will you choose to continue keeping those terrible things, or will you keep what God has done for you? In the future, these things will be your reward in heaven, and this is indeed a fact.
In the future, God will no longer remember how you failed or how terrible you were in the world. He will remember how you relied on God, and God will reward you for what you have done for the Lord. God remembers all these. You are a child of God; you need to learn to record your life in God’s way. If you choose to live this way, your life will surely be joyful. Thank and praise the Lord!
Let’s look at a passage of scripture; this is the last scripture we will read, and you can also meditate on it this week. This passage is given to you by God. Believe everything recorded in this passage and apply it to your life, often reflecting on it.
Isaiah 40:28-31,
28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might, He increases strength. 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, 31 But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
Look, how do the first two sentences say it? It is a rhetorical question, proving whether they have heard it or not. They know and have heard, but they have forgotten; that is the problem. If we forget God’s grace, we will have no faith and will lack reliance on God.
So here it says the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth—what kind of existence is this? He neither faints nor is weary; this means you can pray to Him 24 hours a day. His understanding is unsearchable, meaning He always has the methods and wisdom you need.
He gives power to the weak; He increases strength to those who have no might. This is what our Lord is doing. He did this in the past, and He is still doing it now. Amen! If you are weary, He will give you strength. We are afraid that we think we are strong and mighty. If you think you are Goliath, but in reality, what if you are David? Wouldn’t that be terrible?
When lions and wolves come, if you think you are Goliath, one will disappear; that must be you. If we are David, we say, “Lord! I am weak; I cannot defeat it. Please give me wisdom.” Then God will surely give you strength. Amen! Do not imagine yourself as Samson when you are clearly weak; you are not that kind of person.
Know yourself and then rely on God. Do not always look at how incompetent you are and then fall. It is not like that; believe you are weary, and believe God will give you strength, and you will become strong. You are weak, meaning you are not showing off before God; you are not thinking you are great. You are indeed weak before God; He will give you strength to overcome the difficulties you face now. Amen!
Even youths shall faint and be weary; why is this said? The characteristic of youth is that they do not know fatigue. Children do not know fatigue; even when you are exhausted, they are not tired. That is the characteristic of youth. From a human perspective, even youths, at the strongest and most tireless times in life, will also experience fatigue and weariness. Children may seem energetic now, but if you let them run five kilometers, will they still have energy? No, that is our human weakness. But what is being advocated here is not to look at human weakness but to tell you to rely on our Lord.
The weary will faint, and the strong will fall, but our Lord will never be weary or faint, nor will He fall. Amen! So when you rely on Him, you have found a solid and powerful arm that will never fall. But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles. When you soar, it proves that you may have reached rock bottom, but you are about to rise, and it is like an eagle soaring. Why use an eagle to describe this instead of a duck? The eagle flies the highest among all animals.
The eagle also has a characteristic: it does not fear difficulties. When storms come, other animals are scared and hide in their nests, but the eagle flies straight up, passing through all the storms, above the storm. Other animals hide; those who have flown in planes should have seen it. Below, there are thunder and lightning, but once the plane flies up, there is no sound above; it is very quiet.
Brothers and sisters, this is the life of Christians; God wants to give you this kind of power. You need to soar like an eagle. If you do not soar, you will see problems and difficulties below. But once you soar above these, you will stand above these difficulties, not seeing these problems anymore because you have trampled them underfoot. This is the power our Lord gives you. Hallelujah! They shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
Do you remember God’s works in your life? Or do you see past miracles as mere coincidences? Do not think like that. Perhaps we think it is just a coincidence, but believe that there are no coincidences in life; it is God’s repeated deliverance. Reflect on your past life, how God has helped you in both big and small matters, and also remember how God parted your Red Sea, defeated your enemies, treated you with grace and mercy, and made your life strong again.
We need to learn from the Israelites to record God’s works on their staffs. You can record: On such a day, God helped me defeat my Amalekites; on such a day, my child was born. Your staff should have these records; that is your interaction with God. Amen!
When Moses parted the Red Sea, he raised his staff in prayer. When you encounter difficulties in the future, you should also lift these things in prayer and find that you can also overcome the current difficulties. Raising the staff signifies what? It is as if saying: I have seen all the miracles You have done; I want to see them again now. Hallelujah!
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father! Thank You and praise You! You have saved me time and again in the past, helped me, and I remember Your repeated deliverance. I believe You are with me and will surely help me. I am willing to remember the beautiful things You have given me in the past, remember the joy You have given me, and let me live with this memory, putting down all the past hurts and condemnations, because they will affect my progress.
Your words will give me strength and faith. You grant me strength time and again, deliverance time and again, healing time and again, allowing me to be strong and renewed.
In this new week, I have the confidence to face my life because I also have a staff, which is the authority of Jesus Christ. I can rely on the name of the Lord of hosts; I use the name of Jesus Christ, having the same power as David.
Lord, please give me the habit of recording Your deliverance, allowing me to face my life this week with a victorious mindset. You are the victorious Lord who has already given me this victory. Thank You and praise You! All glory belongs to You. In the name of the Lord Jesus, I pray, Amen!