This is my “strategy”!

Step 1: “Remember” God’s past deeds on our behalf.

Step 2: Focus on the matters set before us today – listen to God’s still small voice and obey Him.

Step 3: Adjust our thoughts so that we do not spend time in needless worry about tomorrow.

Step 4: Remember the exhortation in the Berean Bible in Hebrews 12:2: “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” This verse reminds us that Jesus is alive and well, at the Father’s right hand!

When we remember the past, live for today and look forward to our eternal future with Jesus our faith is strengthened. Our fears are stilled and turned to trust, and our hope in Jesus increases. All of this helps us navigate through life.

Strategy 1: What does it mean to remember? The Cambridge Dictionary defines remember as: “to be able to bring back a piece of information into your mind”. What better resource than God’s Word!

God’s people need to remember His mighty acts. Thankfully, we have the written Word of God to help us to remember. In the Hebrew Scriptures (we call them the Old Testament) God’s people often recited the facts of Genesis 1-2. They remembered God as Creator and Maker of the heavens and the earth, of all vegetation, of the animals, and of people!

Why do you think God’s redemptive work was so important for them [and us] to remember? 

When we remember God as our Creator, it can settle our fears and calm our anxiety because as our Creator, He only wants good for us. God’s ability to create just by speaking reminds us of His power, His omniscience, His omnipresence, and His sovereignty, to name a few points.

Promises throughout Scripture remind me of the truth of who God is. Creation was declared by God to be good – Genesis 1:31a: “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.”

Consider God’s promise to the Israelites in Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” It is complimented by Romans 8:28: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

But God has given us His recorded deeds in the Bible so we can remember and be encouraged. As God’s people we also have our personal experiences with the living God! The greatest proof of His goodness is the moment any person comes to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ! When we have a relationship with the Lord we can remember His acts of goodness on our behalf.

John 3:16 states: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” The greatest evidence of God’s goodness came when He sent Jesus into our world in the incarnation so that Jesus could be born as a human being, live a sinless life, and die on the cross under God’s judgment for our sins. 

Every day we need to remember this great gift from God! 

“Remember” brings with it a sense of contemplative thoughtfulness. It is more than a simple momentary reminder. To remember God’s acts means we really spend time thinking about what He has done and how those acts have impacted our lives. 

I have found that the greatest good that has occurred in my life has come through my trials. When we are in the midst of hardship it may be a challenge to recognize, but eventually God will show us something positive He has done or is doing in our challenges. The changes in my character that make me more like Jesus are the best evidence of God’s goodness for me to remember.

The more we remember the gift of Jesus, the more excited and the bolder we will become in sharing the Gospel message.

When we share the Gospel with people, we remember the message of God’s forgiveness for our sins. Remembering God’s forgiveness helps us to be more forgiving and merciful toward others. The more merciful we are toward others, the more our stress decreases, and the more we can navigate our trials without anxiety and with God’s joy.

Deuteronomy 4:9 in the CSB states: “Only be on your guard and diligently watch yourselves, so that you don’t forget the things your eyes have seen and so that they don’t slip from your mind as long as you live. Teach them to your children and your grandchildren.” 

Deuteronomy 4:9 instructs us to teach others and this helps us to remember. This type of remembering helps God’s truths to not “slip from our minds”. We can now have family conversations about the goodness of God – His forgiveness of our sins, and the promise of eternity with Jesus. This is exciting because it is the best news ever! The more we talk about Jesus and all God has done, the more we remember and are encouraged each day.

So that is step 1 of what I term my “Spiritual Strategy For Navigating Life”.

This is the refrain to: “Go Tell It On The Mountain.” I think its exhortation is well remembered:

“Go, tell it on the mountain,

Over the hills and everywhere.

Go, tell it on the mountain

That Jesus Christ is born.”

Step 2 is next week’s topic: “Focus on today’s issues, not tomorrow’s”.

Please contact me at: ButGodCares@gmail.com to talk about navigating this life with Jesus.

Living for Jesus, Donna

P.S. If this has helped you, please share it with others!

Note: If the verses for Bible references do not appear when you hover over them, go directly to the website, and they should appear for you. Also, please remember to look at the full context of the verses by reading the complete passage.

Copyright 2026 Donna Shappy   All rights reserved.  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other – without the prior permission of the author.