Providence in Our History

“I shall remember the deeds of the Lord; surely I will remember Your wonders of old. I will meditate on all Your work, and muse on Your deeds” (Psalm 77:11-12). John Flavel counseled us to think often about what God has done for us throughout our lives. It was his conviction that a great deal of the pleasure of the Christian life is experienced in recognizing God’s providence in our personal history. He wrote: “There is not such a pleasant history for you to read in all the world as the history of your own lives, if you would but sit down and record from the beginning what God has been to you, and done for you; what signal manifestations of His mercy, faithfulness and love there have been in all the conditions you have passed through. If your hearts do not melt before you have gone half through that history, they are hard hearts indeed.” What a great way to express his thought—“If your hearts do not melt, they are hard indeed!” We should labor with all diligence to have faith, to see God’s sovereign hand working in mercy all the days of our lives. What a difference this will make in how we view our present duties! We should endeavor to see God in everything.