Remember God

Gentle Reminders

The sun had just disappeared into the horizon and the nighttime sky became a stage for thousands of glittering stars. While sitting with my family at an outside restaurant overlooking the water of the Florida Keys , the canopy of lights seemed to dance for me while appearing invisible to all others at the table. The half-moon looked to smile amidst this entertainment of creation. As I watched, a faint cloud -- very translucent -- crossed in front of the moon’s golden light. To me, it was a sign of God’s presence. I felt His warmth fill my body from the inside out, calming my shivers from the cool night air blowing in off the water.

In the distance, the guitar player has just begun his set. “Changes in attitudes, changes in latitudes….” A Jimmy Buffett classic that takes me back to the years of my life that held no spiritual value. A time when a cloud was just a cloud.

Thank you Lord, for opening my spiritual eyes.

Once again, I glance at the moon and although the cloud has gone, its presence is still vivid in my mind. I was still feeling the warmth.

Was this the confirmation that the Israelites faced as they traveled that tedious desert journey?

Did the presence of God’s guiding cloud fill them with the warmth and thankfulness that filled my soul this night?

And like the Israelites, will I too forget His presence when the clouds are no longer visible? Will the miracles from my own life dim in value as time passes on?

Regretfully, I am much like an Israelite. God gives me answered prayers, but soon I am crying out with more requests. In one moment, I see and feel His presence so consuming in my life, but then in another, He seems to have left my side – leaving me to fend for myself.

One minute I can be soaring on the mountaintops in praise of answered prayer. The next I am falling into the valley of despair. Although God is a constant – never changing, never leaving my side – I often struggle to see Him as a constant in my life. Too many times I rely on feelings, much like the Israelites relied too much on the physical presence of the cloud. This sin nature is imbedded deep in my personality.

Yes, I must remember the past, but I also must continue to grow. God wants me to rely on Him through my faith. Faith in who I know Him to be through His word and through my past experiences.

The Israelites took their eyes off of God. They forgot the miracles they had seen. They failed to set their sights on the Promised Land – that’s when they backslid. I am the same way, poised with the same choices.

When I take my eyes off God, I can only see my circumstances from the perspective of my own ability and resources. My situation becomes bigger than I am and I panic as I try to figure out what to do. By keeping my eyes focused on God, I give Him the reins to control the circumstances and I am released from the burdens… free to be guided as He sees fit.

When the Israelites took their eyes from God, they became fearful. “We’re going to die out here!” Stuck in the wilderness with no direction or purpose.

Remembering what God has done for me in the past helps me to be confident in His help and guidance in these current circumstances. He assures me of this in Philippians 1:6: “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” The Israelites forgot about the previous miracles God had performed for them – the locusts, the plagues, the parting of the Red Sea . They failed to remain thankful and proceeded to want for their physical needs.

Although I don’t know God’s purposes for my current situations, He has promised me His blessings. I continue to grow in my spiritual walk and focus my sights on His kingdom. The Israelites began to doubt the Promised Land. They forgot God’s promises and even desired to return to the bonds of slavery.

In spite of my surroundings and circumstances, God will not forsake me (Hebrews 13:5). He has promised eternal life and victory over the obstacles of this current life. Not always do I feel God’s presence or see Him working, but I am thankful for His gentle reminders – such as the cloud – that He is with me, guiding me to my final destination.

© 2000 Caryn Burdine