Forget none of His benefits

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised us is faithful.  --Hebrews 10:23

Several weeks ago, when I was thinking about my resolutions for the New Year, I bought a soft-bound volume entitled 2018 Weekly Agenda.  The first part of this book has calendars for each month of the year.  On the blank calendar blocks that represent the days, I can write short reminders, appointments or events that are important to me.  About halfway through, the format changes. It is now divided up into weekly blocks, with only seven days showing on the double-page.  There is more room to write in these larger blocks, and I decided that I would journal each day utilizing the space provided in this format.

There is not a lot of space, so I cannot be very wordy in this journal.  This helps me to be faithful, since I do not place big expectations upon myself that I should write daily tomes about my everyday life.  Frankly, my life is not that interesting.   In fact, there are many days that I cannot think of anything to write about at all.  In order to keep this from happening, I have seven subjects or ideas that I list each day, and then follow that with a short statement of what I did to strengthen or support that idea, how God may have blessed me in a specific way, or maybe my shortcomings in that area.

The ideas or subjects are the same every day: 

• Physical
• Mental
• Emotional
• Spiritual
• Financial
• Social
• Professional

Not long after I started doing this for myself, I read a FaceBook post about something called "Bullet-Point Journalling".  Apparently, it's a thing.

Anyway, each day I will write down what I did or what I'm going through in each of those seven areas.  Most of the time, it's pretty boring.  Under "Physical", I almost always write, "Worked out 20 minutes this morning."  Under "Mental", I will document how much I read that day, or whether I practiced my guitar (the only musical instrument I play).  On and on it goes--you get the idea.

Anyway, as I have kept this rather boring short record, I have realized something pretty amazing.  Whenever I am worried or stressed, it usually falls under one of these seven broad categories.  If I am overwhelmed by debt, it affects me Financially.  If I don't get along with my supervisor, it affects me Professionally.  Whatever problem you have, you can probably fit it under one of these broad categories.

What I have learned by Bullet-Point Journaling is that God is faithful.  See, if I am able to document my short, low-impact, daily workouts, I am reminded that God has given me health.  He gives life.  When I document each day that I read something for pleasure, or that I practiced my musical instrument, I am reminded that God has given me an ability to read, to think, to express myself to others.  When I document each day that I have read a portion of Scripture, or that I have gone to Church, or met with a small-group Bible Study, I am reminded that God has given me freedom to worship Him, and an ability to fellowship with Him and with other like-minded Christian people.

So when I am worried about a bad review I get at work, or get stressed about a disagreement I had with a friend or relative, the seven-fold approach helps me put it in perspective.  Yes, I may be struggling in one area, but that doesn't define me.  It also reminds me of God's faithfulness.  If He has given me breath and life, He will help me with my problems.  If He has seen to it that I am fed and clothed, He will also see to it that my other needs are met.

One way that we can know the character of God is experientially.  That is, we can know by our own experiences that God is faithful.  He may not always do exactly what we want, when we want it; that would make Him less than God, and more like a machine.  We get in our cars each morning and expect them to take us to work.  As long as we give the car gas and proper maintenance, it will usually take us where we want to go, barring unexpected traffic or road hazards.  If we get stuck in traffic, or have a flat tire, it was due to unforeseen obstacles in our path.  On the other hand, God (who loves us and knows what is best for us) does foresee the obstacles.  Not only that, He knows whether it would be good for us to go through that testing or that trial, before we go through it.  For us to pray that He would help us avoid all of life's bumps and bruises would be an attempt to limit Him.  He cannot be limited.

We know by our own experiences that God has blessed us physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.  Given that experiential knowledge about His character, we must trust Him in the areas we have less control over, like our finances, or our social interactions, or our professional lives.  One of the first Bible verses a child learns is Psalm 56:3: "When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You."

When I read the book of Exodus, I am amazed at the lack of faith exhibited by the people of Israel.  God exhibits His grace and his power in delivering them out of Egypt; He manifests His power over natural laws of the physical universe by parting the Red Sea.  Yet within a space of 7 days, the people come to a place called Mara, where the water is bitter, and they are afraid.  They yell at Moses (and by extension, to the God of Moses), accusing him of taking them out of their "comfort zone" in Egypt (which, by the way, was not very comfortable--remember, they were slaves in Egypt, under terrible bondage) only to let them die of thirst in the desert.  In other words, they had experienced God's provision of a way out of bondage; they had experienced God's power over their enemies; they had experienced God's performance of mighty miraculous works--yet they did not trust Him to meet their most basic needs.

Again in Exodus, within 40 days of Moses going up the Mountain of God, with many miraculous signs and wonders, the people asked Aaron to build them a god that they could follow, because they were not sure that Moses would return, or that His God would continue to provide for them.

Sometimes, though, we are the same way.  We see God's hand in what He has created for us to enjoy.  We see God's work in our own health and provision.  We hear God's word in Church or maybe even on TV and radio.  Yet when we find ourselves in a pinch, we forget God and look to others.

As I thought about this subject this past week, I remembered a song I heard growing up.  I will provide a link below if you want to hear it, but it is a song about God's faithfulness.

As I look back on the road I've travelled,
I see so many times He carried me through;
And if there's one thing that I've learned in my life,
My Redeemer is faithful and true.
My Redeemer is faithful and true. 

My Redeemer is faithful and true.
Everything He has said He will do,
And every morning His mercies are new.
My Redeemer is faithful and true. 

My heart rejoices when I read the promise
'There is a place I am preparing for you.'
I know someday I'll see my Lord face to face,
'Cause my Redeemer is faithful and true.
My Redeemer is faithful and true. 

And in every situation He has proved His love to me;
When I lack the understanding, He gives more grace to me. 

My Redeemer is faithful and true.
Everything He has said He will do,
And every morning His mercies are new.
My Redeemer is faithful and true. 

Written by James Isaac Elliott, Steven Curtis Chapman • Copyright © Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol Christian Music Group

www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOMqZmFjLXk