When Yesterday Preaches to Today

Well, glory be to goodness, friend, push open that ol’ squeaky screen door and come claim yourself a real comfy rocker on this ol’ front porch. Some days the heart droops lower than an ol’ rickety clothesline with a wet quilt hangin’ on it, and discouragement can plum settle in quicker than a lil’ ol’ possum discoverin’ an unattended bowl of supper. When today looks mighty cloudy, we sometimes stare so hard at the trouble ahead that we plum forget the trail of faithfulness God has already left behind us.

That’s why Psalm 42:6 speaks so deeply. The psalmist admits, “My soul is cast down within me,” but then he makes a deliberate choice: “Therefore will I remember thee.” He don’t deny the heaviness. He answers it with remembrance.

David did the same doggone thing when everything around him had fallen apart. 1 Samuel 30:6 says, “David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.” His circumstances hadn’t suddenly improved. David simply remembered whose hands had carried him before.

God Himself says in Isaiah 46:9, “Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else.” Rememberin’ God’s past faithfulness ain’t no kind of sentimental daydreamin’. It’s spiritual evidence. Yesterday’s provision becomes today’s reason to be trustin’ Him.

Maybe it would be mighty good to be keepin’ a little record of those moments. Write down answered prayers, unexpected provisions, doors God’s done opened, and storms He plum carried you through. When discouragement starts struttin’ around like an ol’ Tom turkey gobbler convinced that he sho’-nuff’ owns the whole pasture, pull out those memories and remind your soul what God has already done for you.

Father, when my soul feels cast down, help me remember Your faithfulness. Bring back to mind the prayers You answered, the burdens You carried, and the places where Your grace met me unexpectedly. Strengthen me with yesterday’s evidence, so I can trust You with today and tomorrow. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Alright now, friend, gather up all of them good memories and head right back on into your day before worry starts rearrangin’ the furniture. Let yesterday’s mercies git to testifyin’ louder than today’s troubles. A lil’ ol’ squirrel may forget where it buried half its acorns, but don’t you forget them times and places where God has already met you. When the road ahead looks mighty uncertain, turn around just long enough to see how faithfully He done brought you this far.

With joy,

Gwen