Don't Forget! #156

Judges 8:32-35 32 And Gideon the son of Joash died at a ripe old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. 33 Then it came about, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the sons of Israel again played the harlot with the Baals, and made Baal-berith their god. 34 Thus the sons of Israel did not remember the LORD their God, who had delivered them from the hands of all their enemies on every side; 35 nor did they show kindness to the household of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) in accord with all the good that he had done to Israel. How easy it is to forget. Maybe you couldn't find your keys this morning, or remember where you parked your car at the mall, or if you finished that project or assignment. No matter what you forgot it is usually not a big deal. But when you forget what God has done for you in the past, it is a big deal. Gideon had been used of God to rid the Israelites of their arch-enemies, the Midianites. He had led them to an abundance of spoil and positioned them as the leaders of their world. Gideon died at a ripe old age and as soon as he was gone the sons of Israel again began to worship Baal. The Bible says they did not remember the LORD their God. You can forget lots of things, people, events; but you cannot afford to forget God and all He has accomplished in your life. God had miraculously delivered Israel from the Midianites even though they were greatly outnumbered. God intervened and gave three hundred men the victory over an entire army. You might wonder how could they forget that? But how many times do you worry, fret, stew and become discouraged because you forget what God has done for you in the past. The great thing about God is that what He has done before He can do again. Trusting in Him for what He has done should lead you to trust Him for what He is about to do. Your faith is based on the God who does not change. Remember what He has done before and trust Him to do it again. Don’t allow yourself the choice of forgetting the greatness of God and His past watch-care over you. Remembering is the wonderful experience of reliving God’s hand on your life in the past and making sure it is applied to the present. Remember how great God is! ___________Today's personal note from Dennis Greetings from Pierre South Dakota, I awoke this morning to a beautiful summer day in Pierre. The sun was shining and the grass is green. There is still flooding in the area from the rains earlier this year. We took a ride on our friend's house boat last night as the sun was going down. The sunset was arrayed in color and the water was peaceful. Collin took the opportunity to jump from the roof of the house boat into the cool water. (not once but maybe 20 times.) He loved it. I even caught a nice sized small mouth bass. Our friends, the Jones family, are doing really well. It is so great to see friends. I started to say old friends, but I think I may be the one getting old. One of the men in my Bible Study lost his father-in-law to cancer last week. I preached his funeral on Saturday at Grace Community Church in Tempe. The service gave an opportunity to share the gospel with many non-believers. Continue to pray for the fruit of that funeral. Burke and Bennett started school this week. Summer for them is really short. Their school is basically year round with several breaks. Both are excited about school and the many activities their school provides. Baby Johnny is doing better all the time. He still does not like his helmet but it is beginning to make a difference. I will be preaching here in Pierre at the Community Bible Church on Sunday. This will be the third time to share God's word with this great church. Pastor Harvey has been very generous to allow me to share his pulpit. Sandy and I are scheduling speaking engagements for the rest of the summer and the fall. God continues to open doors for ministry. For that we thank Him. Please continue to pray for those opportunities to continue. I receive stories of how God is using The Encourager to do exactly as I hoped it would, and that is encouraging God's servants. I spoke with a Worship Pastor in California this past week, and he uses The Encourager for the devotional for his Wednesday night choir rehearsal. I am so glad. Many of you forward The Encourager to your own mailing list. Please feel free to use whatever you can. One business I frequented a couple of weeks ago make copies available for customers by printing a few extras and laying them on the counter where people checking out can take a copy with them. Be creative. Let me know how God is using The Encourager in your personal life, your church, your business or any other way. I get encouraged then. Thanks for your prayers. Without God's intervention and mercy I would not be here on this planet to share the message of God's mercy and grace. I do hope you will continue to pray for both Sandy and me. May God bless your life with His grace and mercy. To Him be the glory! ~ DGW