Remember what has happened

In my studies on discernment, I ran across a very important idea. As I read through the spiritual practices that are meant to aid in discernment, it was suggested that you should record all the moments where God answered a prayer or made His presence known. 
It is such a simple idea and I am starting to realize this usually means it is going to be a good one.

In a period of discernment or anytime really, it is vital to record what happened. If you look back in time, in history, there are countless examples of people forgetting what happened in their lives or the lives of their ancestors which leads them to repeat the same mistakes. When it comes to discernment, we do the same thing. 

How many times has God answered a prayer or shown me He is with me? If I really think about it I can come up with dozens of times but honestly, I wish I had written them down. We human creatures forget God's provision faster than anything else. I know I can tell you pretty much every offensive or hurtful thing any person has ever said to me, but I would scratch my head a minute if you asked me about a time that I knew I was loved by God. These moments are vital and they are gifts, it is just incredible how we ignore and forget about them as we journey forward. 

I don't know why we do that but it has been going on for ages. Remember Moses and the Israelites? They witnessed miracle after miracle and still they doubted God in the wilderness, creating idols to worship and empowering people who shouldn't really be given the authority. Even Jesus's own disciples who were with him every single day and witnessed his power and grace, even they forgot what he taught them as they betrayed him, denied him and feared what would happen after his death even though he told them he would be resurrected. They forgot everything and did not even recognize him when he appeared in front of them.

We do the same thing STILL. Perhaps the real curse of the Fall is that we forget what is most important and hold on to everything that isn't. We let our lives and hearts become burdened with memories that do not serve us while we have expansive encounters with God and can barely recall what they were like.

Whatever your daily practice is, remember to record the answers and encounters you have with God. When the hard times come and the dark nights seem very dark, it is so helpful to look back at your life and be reminded of the moments where God has shown you that he will not leave you and has never abandoned you. Remember how He has loved you and that this love is always present to you.