Many of you will know that I love God, I love my family, I love my Church, I love my friends... and I love photos!

Photos transport me back to the memories we were making when the photos were taken.

So I take a lot of photos. I have photos EVERYWHERE in our home. If there's an empty shelf, it won't stay empty for long! I love having my surroundings filled with these memories that take me back to my place of joy, happiness, and fun.

But the principle of memory keeping is actually Biblical and is a source of strength and courage.

King David is one of the greatest "memory keepers" of the Bible.
Psalm 77:11 - But then I recall all you have done, O Lord; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago.
Psalm 103:2  Let all that I am praise the LORD: may I never forget the good things He does for me.
Psalm 9:1  I will praise the Jehovah with my whole heart; I will recount all thy marvellous works.

But why is this so important?

For me, memories are so important, NOT because I am living in the past (far from it!) but because they help me take all the good things God has done into the future.

By looking BACK and recognising God's faithfulness, it strengthens my faith when looking FORWARD at the mountain I'm overcoming or the dream that seems impossible.

If I'm facing a physical challenge, I look back at all the times God has miraculously healed me and my family.
If I've got something on my Vision Board which seems out of reach, I look back all the times God has made a way where there seemed to be no way.
If I have a financial need, I look back at all the times God has provided.

It reminds me that the same God that brought me out last time will do it again.

Let me show you my favourite example of this principle from Acts 16.

The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.

"Midnight" represents the darkest time of the 14 hour period. Why is that important? Because, if Paul and Silas were able to sing at midnight... they must have learnt those songs in the light! They couldn't read hymn books in the dark, they would've needed to have memorised the words in the light.

In the same way, when you are facing a midnight in your life, that's NOT the time to try and find stories that will encourage your face. That's the time for you to recall the victories that are firmly etched in your heart.

The memories you have written in the light are the ones you will remember in the dark.

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