Only fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you. 1 Samuel 12:24
People tend to remember two things from the past: the things that were really good and the things that were really traumatizing. The normal day-to-day things that occur in the life of most people are forgotten.
While there are too many things that occur in the day-to-day living to remember all of them, there is some good in remembering those things. Those are also the times when things are not going badly, though they are not super good either. It is when God is working in the life of a person in the background, silently providing for the person.
As Samuel was nearing the end of his work and Saul was beginning to take over as king, Samuel reminded the people to fear God and serve Him with all of their hearts and lives.
One thing that would help them to continue to fear and serve God was to remember what great things He has done for them. They were to remember their rescue from Egypt and other nations over the years, the provision of food, the building up of their nation, and other things He has done.
This same advice can help a believer today to fear and serve God faithfully. Added to the list of what God has done for people today is that Jesus died for the sins of each one.
When times get tough or when times are good, a person can remember what God has done and know He is still working in the same way. This can encourage the believer to remain faithful because God has remained faithful. It will also keep God at the center of the believer’s heart and life, rather than on the sidelines and forgotten.
Take a moment and think about all the things God has done for you. These can be great miracles or the simple day-to-day provision. God does love you and works for you to help you be the best you can be. If God gave the greatest thing He could to you, the death of Jesus to forgive sins, will He not also provide everything else for you?
Since God is doing such great things for you, why not respect Him and serve Him with all of your heart, soul, mind, and body?
What has God done for you?
I pray today that you will see God’s hand at work in your life; that you will know what God has done for you; that you will remain faithful to God in all you say and do; and that you will not stray away from God to the things of this world.
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This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Insights from Tom
