Remind Yourself!

Scripture: They refused to listen and did not remember your wonderous deeds which you performed among them so they became stubborn. Nehemiah 9:17

Observation: Nehemiah 9 is a long song recounting the ongoing cycle of God's people who forget God's deliverances and blessings, only to suffer his discipline. But time after time God deals faithfully even with the unfaithful.

Application: How do I break this cycle in my life? I forget God and beleive my own press clippings until I need his rescue. I think the key word is forget. When we forget God's wonderous deeds we become stubbon and self-reliant and refuse to listen. The secret, then, is to remember God *before* the discipline is needed.
A friend of mine told me he called spankings "reminders.". When his kids said they did not want a "reminder," he said, "Then remind yourself!" I remind myself by reading God's Word and by rereading God's words to
me in my journal. I need to reread my old journals this week and the upcoming weeks to remind myself.

Prayer: God, help me remind myself so I do not forget you and become stubborn.