Record: To Give Evidence Of

Moses recorded their starting places according 

to their journeys by the command of the Lord, 

and these are their journeys according to their starting places.

(Numbers 33: 2 NASB)

Apparently God cares about keeping records. I found the above Scripture fascinating. In a quick concordance search, I found this repeating phrase: "These are the records of the generations of..." After each entry would be a person's name, like Noah, etc. Several times in Israel's history, these records were important reminders of God's faithfulness and direction for the nation.

Today's idea for waking up our quiet time is to create a "Miracle Scrapbook." If you are visual person, you may love this idea. But other ways to record God's miracles in your life are readily available. Like using a digital journal on your phone to take photos, type notes and record God's daily faithfulness or the old-fashioned journal, where you can list your blessings or keep track of answered prayers. You could also use a voice recorder on your phone to have a verbal record of God's praiseworthy deeds in your life.

I am a visual person, so scrapbooking, doodling and journaling the journey appeal to me. I have shelves of scrapbooks, so I am not sure I will go to the effort of making a special one for miracles. Come to think of it, if I just go back and look at my current scrapbooks and journals, I could find plenty of everyday and once in a lifetime miracles that give evidence of God's grace in our lives.

If you don't want to or don't feel like making a visual reminder, why not just look at some old photos and thank God in person for the miracle of your life with your voice or in your heart.

Here's  a couple reasons that Pam Farrel keeps a miracle scrapbook:

Someday we'd have children, and I didn't want them to think because we were in ministry we were paid to be good. (I wanted them to know there was a time when were "good for nothing!") I began to keep evidence of answered prayer. For example, the grocery bags that held two weeks of free groceries we received when we were broke...Whenever my faith becomes weary and I'm not sure if God can see me...through a crisis or challenge, I pull out that miracle scrapbook. I am reminded that while the obstacles might have changed or grown, God hasn't changed, and he is able to handle the challenge.

By recording anchor points in your marriage or family, you strengthen the faith of everyone in that family. By spending your quiet times cataloging God's provision for you, your heartstring to him is also strengthened.

©Pam Farrel from 30 Ways to Wake Up Your Quiet Time (IVP). For more devotional books by Pam www.Love-wise.com

How do you record God's faithfulness to you?

Linking up with Soli Deo Gloria Party.

To read more of the posts from 31 Days of Quiet, click here.

Confidence: A Relation of Trust or Intimacy {Where I Reveal My Dream Come True}

 

But know that the LORD has set apart the faithful for himself;

the LORD hears when I call to him.

(Psalm 4:3 NRSV)

When I was a teenager, during a youth retreat we were encouraged to choose a name that would describe who we wanted to become. I chose the word, "confidence." I drew a key and wrote the word across it. Probably the first time I ever used a concordance to look up Scriptures. Under the listing, I remember reading: "The LORD is my confidence." (Proverbs 3:26a)

At that retreat was one of the first times I asked God for something for myself. I wanted Him to be my confidence, but also to make me more confident.

For many years I have been growing into that name. As I  was getting ready for a new venture today, God reminded me of that act of faith so many years ago. Back in May, through a series of God events, I took a step towards fulfilling a dream. This dream came to life today! I am calling this dream:

 

 

 

(Logo design created by Jessie Flori)

Souldare will be a place where people gather together to discover their created self through journaling, collage art and eventually, nature hikes accompanied by times of contemplative prayer.

What does this post have to do with my recent series on prayer? God hears when we call to him. And sometimes, the answer is revealed in stages, over the years. And sometimes, He uses that very request to increase our faith and confidence.

When I look at the word confidence, I think "with faith" or "with fidelity," which when applied to my life humbles me. To think that God would call me one of his faithful ones exalts his faithfulness. It indicates a depth of intimacy with God that has grown sweeter over the years.

What a joy it was today to witness others exploring and discovering their created selves through collage art and journaling. God was in our midst. I can't wait until next week to see how God reveals himself to us again.

 

A poem I read before I left to facilitate the workshop became another prayer for confidence:

Where fear imprisons, faith liberates;
Where fear paralyzes, faith empowers;
Where fear disheartens, faith encourages;
Where fear sickens, faith heals;
Where fear makes useless, faith makes beautiful;
Where fear puts hopelessness at the heart of life,
faith opens the windows on a new world,
a new life that knows no end.
(Father Philip Chester, as qtd by Jonathan Aitken in Prayers for People Under Pressure)

 

How is faith enabling you to overcome fears?What long forgotten request

is God answering today?

 

Fruitful: An Abundant Yield

^{On the ninth day of Christmas my True Love gave to me,}

^{nine gifts for fruiful living.}

 

 

 

But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.
(Galatians 5:22,23a The Message)