Do Not Forget

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqKO-MwJ2sM

Crowned ~ Highlands Worship feat. Rebecca Hart

 We will not hide these truths from our children;
we will tell the next generation
about the glorious deeds of the LORD,
about his power and his mighty wonders.

~ Psalm 78:4 NKJV

 The media offers us so much to fear, both for the present and the future. Typically, we’re advised not to look to the past, but scripture tells us to not forget the faithfulness of the Lord:

·         In giving our tithe or our first fruits, we are to remember and tell our children: “By strength of hand the LORD brought us out of… the house of bondage,” (Exodus 13:14).

·         After crossing the Jordan, Joshua told the twelve tribes to each take up one stone as a sign and so that they could tell their children, “the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off,” (Joshua 4:7).

Every generation, from the beginning till the present, has gone through hardships:

·         In 1929, our grandparents and great grandparents were rocked by the Great Depression, as many lost jobs and homes.

·         December 7, 1941 will forever be etched in U.S. history with the bombing of Pearl Harbor, propelling this country into World War II and sending many men to the battlelines.

·         On September 11, 2001, many lost loved ones and a sense of safety and protection as terrorists crashed planes into the Twin Towers.

·         March 13, 2020 turned a lot of families upside down as President Trump declared a COVID-19 national emergency, closing schools and businesses.

Through every event, each person had to decide, for themselves, if they were going to let the events paralyze them, or if they were going to push past the fear and keep going, not knowing what would happen, but knowing Who was walking through it with them.

If we keep looking to the future through the lens of fear, we will become anxious and depressed. However, if we look through the lens of God’s promises and faithfulness, we will be enabled to stand firm and persevere.

The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still. ~ Exodus 14:14 NIV

©Heather Potts 2021

On that Dark Day

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0FBb6hnwTo&list=RDn0FBb6hnwTo&start_radio=1

Goodness of God ~ Bethel Music

God ’s name is a place of protection— good people can run there and be safe. ~ Proverbs 18:10 MSG

Today is a hard day for so many, as they remember the events of this day eighteen years ago. The stories surrounding that day are too numerous to count. I pray that this story gives you hope, even as we remember that dark day.

He got up, got dressed for work, kissed his girlfriend good-bye and headed out the door.  Today was the day it would all change for him.  He was starting a new job, a new way of life.  After orientation, his boss showed him to an office and asked him to file while she was in a meeting.  A while later, he began to hear a commotion.  People were yelling and running.  He stuck his head out of the office and saw the burning twin towers on TV and the reporter talking about the concerns for the President.  Then someone in the office said, “Air Force One is across the street!  Should we evacuate the building?” No one gave an answer, for they were all staring at the TV in horror. He moved back into the office and closed the door, his mind whirling.

In John 14:27, Jesus said He came to give us peace, but He wasn’t talking about a world without war. Jesus' peace is a feeling of quiet confidence and complete trust. That's easy to say when there's no conflict. But what about days of tragedy? And how do those who don't know Him find peace on dark days?

Standing in that office, leaning up against the door, he was afraid.  “What if I die today?  What if they take out the President’s plane and this office with it?  What if my girlfriend was right and I miss it?”  He began to remember what his friends had said one night after work, so many years ago.  They had talked about a Savior. Not a mean God, but One who wanted to love him and who would accept him.  Sliding down to the floor, he said, “God I give you my heart.  From this day forward, I’m Yours.”

The TV stations all reported the number of lives lost that day. It's gut-wrenching to recall and reread the stories. My heart is broken for the families who all lost someone on that dark day.

But there is hope! In John 17:15, 18, Jesus prayed that God would not take His disciples out of the world but would protect them from the evil one while they were in it. He said, "As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world." He knew the risk of losing even one soul to hell for eternity was far greater if messengers weren't sent to share His story and His Name.

On that dark day, when so many lives were lost, at least one soul was saved. On Tuesday, September 11, 2001 my husband gave his life to Christ! 

Lord, thank you for his friends who told him about You long before I ever knew him. I pray that for those who don’t know Peace—who don’t know You—that they would turn to You. Send someone into their lives and to tell them about You. Thank you for wanting us to be Yours. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

And I will give them a heart to know (recognize, understand, and be acquainted with) Me, that I am the Lord; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart. ~ Jeremiah 24:7 AMP

©Heather Potts 2014, edited 2019