I've Witnessed It

But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”- Lamentations 3:21-24

At one time or another, we will each find ourselves alone, astray, ashamed, afflicted. We are, after all, guaranteed trouble in this life (John 16:33). When it comes, we recall and receive the promise of Lamentations 3: God is faithful and He is our portion. No, it does not negate the pain; no, it does not undo the wrong or remove us from the circumstance. Rather, it tells us a better truth: that even in the midst of darkness, we are accompanied by a great Light. That Light is our strength in weakness, our guidance in confusion, our provision in wanting, and our comfort in fear. We can be sure of this: we are never truly alone or without hope.

We’ve Seen It Before

I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old.

I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds. Your way, O God, is holy. What god is great like our God? - Psalm 77:11-13

When we are tried, we may be tempted to look down – at our feet, at the path we stand on – or to look ahead in hopes of fast forwarding beyond what we are facing. It bears acknowledging that there can be healthy ways to do that: it is good to be present where we are and it is good to set our hearts on the future weight of glory that awaits us in Christ.

However, far more often it looks like trapping ourselves in the narrowness of now, hyperfocused on the difficulties, or seeking to control and predict the future for our own comfort’s sake. This is when the time comes to shift our gaze: to look back.

Remembrance is one of our sharpest weapons against fear, unbelief, and shame. It provides peace in suffering and grief. We look at what God has done and we are lifted out of ourselves – we move out of now, out of time, out of this, and suddenly we are seeing eternity past. We are seeing the face of God, with whom there is never any shadow of change (James 1:17). He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow (Hebrews 13:8):

The God who rescued Israel; the God who kept covenant to His people; the God who made the ultimate sacrifice for their redemption; the God who sought you out when you were dead in sin and made you alive in Christ; the God who drew near to you when you were brokenhearted; the God who heard your cries alone in the dark. That same God is with you today. You’ve witnessed His character - you can attest to it yourself, and you can say to your heart, “Remember!”

We’ll See It Again

I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! - Psalm 27:13-14

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. - Philippians 1:6

Not only are we comforted by the works God has already done, but we are assured of His continued faithfulness in all He is yet to do. He will go on being our Helper, our Comforter, our Healer, our Defender, our Friend. Better yet, He will go on being our Righteousness, our Eternal Rescue – the Lord of our very lives.

That which He has accomplished, He will uphold. That which He has begun, He will complete. That which He has promised, He will fulfill. Though we may shed both blood and tears on our earthly journey, our Heavenly Father will see it, collect it up, and sow it into Eternity. And as He does, He will be near to us. This is His faithfulness: that our pain is not wasted, we do not walk it alone, and its destination is paradise.

So what is our response?

We Declare It

But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more. My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is past my knowledge. With the mighty deeds of the Lord God I will come; I will remind them of your righteousness, yours alone. - Psalm 71:14-16

This God who has seen us through every trial, who will remain steadfast with each passing day, and who will keep our hearts unto heaven – this God is a God to celebrate! We ought to overflow with testimony of His goodness – to the saint and sinner alike. Those who belong to Him need to be reminded and those not yet His need to be invited in. We are His witnesses – those who have seen and whose sole mission it is to share.

So, to the recipient of God’s steady faithfulness, I say, Go and witness it! To whomever may need to hear, tell of what you have seen (that includes yourself!) Do not tire of bearing witness until you are called home to experience the fullness of this God forever.