Corona Devo 407

Do you dictate your thoughts in a diary?

Do you jot in a journal?

Do you have a notebook to record prayers and praises and notable daily events?

Do you keep a written record of (your) progress, the stages of (your) march, identified by the different places where (you've) stopped along the way?

We should.

A written record gives us proof of our prayers. It gives us something to refer to, review, and rejoice in...when time has passed and we see how God has "worked things out" and to stay persistent in prayer for those things that He is still working on.

But it's not actually my advice to "keep a written record", you don't need my advice. But we do need God's. And if He recommended to Moses to "keep a written record", then there must be value in it for us as well:

This is the route the Israelites followed as they marched out of Egypt under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. (2) At the Lord’s direction, Moses kept a written record of their progress. These are the stages of their march, identified by the different places where they stopped along the way. ~Numbers 33:1-2

I see a complete correlation between Moses keeping a written record about the Israelites' journey to the Promised Land under God's direction...and us taking notes and jotting prayers and ideas relating to our daily and yearly journeys under God's direction.

These are the stages of their march, identified by the different places where they stopped along the way. ~Numbers 33:1-2

Have you ever taken a moment to "look back", and recognize the "stages" of a particular part of your life "march"?

I recently had an opportunity. I came to the last page in my Bible-study notebook journal, and so I took a minute to flip through the pages.

One of the stages in those pages was the progression of our daughter transferring to public school from Christian private. Prayers for discernment and leading were scribbled in the margins of so many of those pages.

Then I came to a Winter entry about "running into" an acquaintance at the grocery store, a place where (I had) stopped along the way. This woman had a daughter that would be in our daughter's grade if we transferred. She was warm and inviting and positive about the idea of us transferring. This was a stage of (our) march, but I didn't know it at the time. (I'm glad I kept a written record.) Today our daughter's are best buddies and they share a camraderie that is deeper than any friendship our daughter has previously known.

Taped to one of the pages in my journal was a handwritten list of afterschool activities that my daughter had handed me (while in the spring of her 3rd grade year), while proudly announcing that "These are the clubs and activities that I'm going to join next year at my new school." She had found them listed on the school's website.

I wasn't ready for her to make the school switch yet (my boys had stayed at a Christian academy through 5th grade.) But in reviewing my journal and my repeated written prayers for the Lord to "confirm" our steps and direction, I realized that even if I wasn't ready, our daughter was.

I was reminded of the stages of (our) school-transfer march, and the different places where (we) stopped along the way because I had kept a written record of (our) progress (Numbers 33:2).

Wrapping up her first year at the new school, she's made new friends, and is enjoying a best friend at school for the first time. She's a part of every one of those clubs, and she has flourished and been challenged in ways that God knew were possible before I did.

This process and advice of journaling our lives/our prayers/our fears/our joys/and praises was God's idea for the Israelites and also us. So we would be able to look back and see God's hand along the way, even when we had no idea about it at the time. And also so that we would not forget the blessings He provides and the comfort He gives. When something is written, it can be reviewed (and re-lived!) and it can be passed down.

This is the route the Israelites followed as they marched out of Egypt under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. (2) At the Lord’s direction, Moses kept a written record of their progress. These are the stages of their march, identified by the different places where they stopped along the way. ~Numbers 33:1-2

A written record gives us proof of our prayers. It gives us something to refer to, review, and rejoice in...when time has passed and we see how God has "worked things out" and to stay persistent in prayer for those things that He is still working on.

Today, even if it sounds intimidating, let's grab a notebook and begin to keep a written record of (our) progress...and the stages of (our) march, identified by the different places where (we) stop along the way (Numbers 33:1-2).

Blessings,

sarah

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Corona Devo 1156

Image
At work, we provide Trainings for customers, so that they can be updated and educated on all of the latest features (and how to use them) within our product.  Many companies do this--sharing "Best Practices" are a way to ensure positive outcomes on the customer and vendor sides of things. My kids often offer me "life hacks" that they have learned from watching an online video promising to "save time" and "make your life easier".  And just this week, my husband enlightened me about the "tear-away" feature built into most plastic rings holding cans/bottles of pop or Gatorade together.  When separated, the plastic rips open easily, releasing the bottle--saving wildlife that might be caught if it is discarded as trash, and saving me  frustration or angst because I no longer have to pull with all my might to get a bottle out of the plastic rings.  ( Who knew? )  Life hacks do save time and make your life easier! Who couldn't benefit from
Read more

Corona Devo 1217

Image
The unanswered “why’s” of life, the disorder of our days, and even the unfairness of our struggles can cause us to question ourselves and also to question our God. But the order-of-Creation and the systems that God has set in place are undeniable answers that swing back and forth like God’s pendulum-reminder that He set the world in motion, and He continues to keep order, even when it seems as if we and our world are in dis- order.   Job was a man going through some heavy and hard stuff.   Maybe we are too.   Job’s trials had caused him to question the order of life, and possibly God’s dominion over it.   We can relate.   The “Why’s?” and the “Why Me’s” can stack up in our minds and hearts, but like a parent exercising loving-authority over a child, God reminds Job and us--of His power, omniscience and of His ultimate authority over everything: Creation… and us today .   Then the  Lord  answered Job from the whirlwind: (2) “Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ig
Read more

Corona Devo 991

Running low on " good things " today?  Doesn't it (sometimes) seem like/trend like/read like/tweet like/water-cooler-chat or backyard-fence-visit like/intimidate like/depress like... there are no  good things in the land? . I know. It's no secret that many have abandoned  the Law of the  Lord,  and at times, that's us .   It is evident all around us that people have  followed each other  in this sin.  When we look around...or when we live our days...we can wonder: Are there  any  good things  left in the land? There are still some good things in the land ...and no matter how bleak we feel the "forecast" for today is...there will always  be  some good things in the land, because God is in the land.   T he Bible reminds us of that today.   ~~~ The Israelites (and their king, Rehoboam ) were God's people, but like all of us at times/seasons of our lives...they wandered from Lord and His ways.  They relaxed in their allegiance to the Lord, and then the
Read more