Remember that you were once slaves in Egypt, but the LORD your God brought you out with his strong hand and powerful arm. That is why the LORD your God has commanded you to rest on the Sabbath day.
— Deuteronomy 5:15 (NLT)
My wife and I were just weeks away from travelling to the Konghi* valley for the first time. The people who live there speak an unwritten language and have never seen a Bible in any language. We were so excited about beginning to work among them. Then suddenly the door slammed in our faces. Sudden violence in the area made it impossible for us to travel there. We followed the Lord’s leading and traveled as close to the Konghi valley as we could. There in a small city we prayed that God would bring some of the Konghi people to us.
The people of the city were not encouraging. Most said that they had never met a Konghi speaker, and others did not even know where the Konghi valley was. But many people around the world were praying. After about two weeks of waiting on the Lord, there was a knock on our door. We welcomed some Konghi speakers into our home for the first time. God answered the prayers of His people. This began a relationship that we continue to this day.
We are still in the beginning stages of our project. Surely, there are many trials and impossibilities yet to come. But we pray that God will help us to remember how He miraculously brought these men to us in the beginning. This memory reminds us of whose work this really is and whose power will see it done.
*pseudonym
PERSONAL REFLECTION
Remembering what God has done in the past gives us the confidence to obey Him each day. It is helpful to remember what God has done for others (e.g., the Israelites), but there is special potency in remembering what God has done for me. Take note of those special times where you experienced God’s work in your life. Then look back and praise Him for it. Our present peace, faith, and obedience are connected to our intentional remembrance of the words and works of God.
