Remembering 2024!

             As we begin to turn the page on 2024, it’s not unusual to look back over the last 12 months and reflect on both the good and the bad.  For some 2024 may have been a time of joy, but others may be looking forward to turning the page on a year of grief or anguish.

I have one friend who got married in 2024, others who welcomed new grandchildren or great-grandchildren, and still others who were blessed with special times with their families.  They can look back on the past year with fond memories.

On the other hand, I have several friends who experienced the loss of a loved one in 2024.  Another grieved for her son who is in jail, and still others dealt with persistent pain or unwelcome diagnoses.  For them, 2024 was a year of pain and sorrow that they would probably like to forget.

There’s nothing wrong with looking back—unless of course, you are Lot’s wife.  For the rest of us, there are always things we can learn from looking back and remembering.  The key is where our thoughts will dwell.  Will we focus on those brief moments of extreme happiness, or will we be mired down in the pain and sorrow of our darkest days?

Very early in Scripture, God challenged us to “Remember the Sabbath” (Exodus 20:8), a remembrance that turns our hearts towards Him and His mighty power.  King David said it like this, “Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,” (I Chronicles 16: 12 NIV84).

So, as we look back over the past year, perhaps our focus should be on what God has done in our lives.  Those moments of joy and happiness were blessings from above, for we know that “Every good and perfect gift is from above…” (James 1: 17a NIV84).  For those who experienced grief and sorrow, remember that you were not alone.  Just like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, there was a fourth man in the fire with you. (Daniel 3: 19 – 25).  Perhaps David said it best in Psalm 23.

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23: 4 NIV84).

As you pause today to look back on 2024, regardless of whether your memories are good or bad, remember that God was with you every step of the way.  He delights in your times of joy, and He gives comfort and strength in your times of sorrow.  He is your Father and He longs for you to draw near in both the good and the bad times.  That’s worth remembering any time of the year.

Isaiah 46: 8 - 10

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