Gather Your Stones

We need to do everything we can to remember what God has done for us and not in a once-off kind of way but as a lifestyle.

God has done so much for us and He is doing so much more that we can’t afford to forget. Forgetting is so easy and

the enemy would love us to forget. he would love us to be so focused on the trials and the giants that we don’t even

stop to think WHO is on our side and the power He has.

I was talking to a friend this week and He reminded me of this truth. I was talking to him about a few things I was trusting

God for when he reminded me of what God had done for me in the past. As he reminded me my faith got energized

and I left that conversation repenting to God. I realized that God had come through for me in pretty amazing ways in

the past so these current things I was trusting for were not a big deal to Him.

We MUST do everything we can to remember. Throughout out scripture God continually reminded His people to remember

what He had done for them.

Take Joshua for example. he was about to enter the promise land but before entering it he came across the Jordan river. God

then gave him an interesting command;

“He told them, “Go into the middle of the Jordan, in front of the Ark of the Lord your God. Each of you must pick up one stone

and carry it out on your shoulder—twelve stones in all, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel.

We will use these stones to build a memorial. In the future your children will ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 

Then you can tell them, ‘They remind us that the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant went

across.’ These stones will stand as a memorial among the people of Israel forever.””

Joshua 4:5-7 NLT

God told him to gather stones from the Jordan to help His people for generations to come remember what He had done.

Over and over in the Word we read how God’s people continually forgot what He had done for them.

“They did not keep God’s covenant and refused to live by his instructions.

They forgot what he had done—the great wonders he had shown them,”

Psalm 78:10, 11 NLT

“Again and again they tested God’s patience and provoked the Holy One of Israel. They did not remember his power and how he

rescued them from their enemies.

They did not remember his miraculous signs in Egypt, his wonders on the plain of Zoan.”

Psalm 78:41-43 NLT

As you can see, they continually forgot what God had done and instead of trusting God they complained, were fearful, murmured

and didn’t trust God.

If you are going to enter a new level and receive the new things God has for you, then you need to remember! Do everything you

can to remember. That’s what David did when he faced Goliath,

But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a

lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw

and club it to death. I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the

armies of the living God! The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!”

1 Samuel 17:34-37 NLT

Because David remembered what God had done to the lion and bear, he had faith that God would deliver him from the giant!

Don’t forget what God has done to the lion and the bear in your life.

There are more victories in store for you.

As I come to the end of this post I want to share one more scripture to help you remember the amazing things God has done

consistently,

“But watch out! Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen. Do not let these memories escape from your mind

as long as you live!”

Deuteronomy 4:9 NLT

And with that I have come to the end of this post. I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic. What do you do to remember

the amazing things God has done for you?

And on one last note, I have a video version of the posts I write on my YouTube channel. If you prefer watching to reading then

click here to follow me on YouTube and even if you prefer reading, still follow me 🙂

Thank you friends and see you soon.  

Rolain

Remember God!

You may be going through some intense times at the moment but I want to encourage you to remember God.

Always remember God through everything you are going through.

When the enemy has knocked you to the ground, remember God and call to Him. He will pick you up always.

I think of Job in his most intense time. He had lost everything and his closest friends abandoned him but in that intense fire

he remembered God.

“But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last.”
  Job 19:25 NLT

“But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives”

The enemy wants you to forget God.

He doesn’t want you remembering God. He wants you in fear, anxious, stressed and so many other negative emotions.

But you can’t let him win. He is a defeated foe.

“I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.”

Psalm 16:8 ESV

We need to always set the Lord before us. He is the One who is fighting for us. He is our strength.

As I close I want to share one more scripture,

“I love you, O LORD my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my

rock in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.”

Psalm 18:1-3 ESV

Remember God!

Bless you friends

Rolain

The place of isolation.

“So Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, send me David your son, 

who is with the sheep.” 

 

David was in an isolated place away from people and yet Saul knew where to find him.

How did that happen?

He was alone for the most part of his day. It wasn’t the coolest, hippest place to hang out

I can imagine but it’s in that place that David’s relationship with God was developed. It’s in that

place he communed and worshipped God. He learned to trust God in that place. It’s in that place

he fought a lion and a bear and God delivered him from them both. (1 Samuel 17:37)

 

You might be in a place where people don’t see you or even recognize you but know this,

the Lord knows exactly where you are. Be patient where you are. The Lord is at work in you

and is directing your every step.

 

“Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, 

The Lord has not chosen any of these. 

Then [he] said to Jesse, Are all your sons here? [Jesse] said, There is yet the youngest; 

he is tending the sheep. 

Samuel said to Jesse, Send for him; for we will not sit down to eat until he is here. 

Jesse sent and brought him. David had a healthy reddish complexion and beautiful eyes and

was fine-looking. 

The Lord said [to Samuel], Arise, anoint him; this is he.”

1 Samuel 16:10-12

 

David’s father forgot about David and had to be asked if he had another son but that will never

happen with God.  Like I said before, He knows where you are.

Don’t despise the place you are in today. It might not be the most exciting place to be or the most

fulfilling and can even be frustrating but God has a plan for your life. He knows what He is doing.

 

“Now Eliab his eldest brother heard what he said to the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled

against David and he said, Why did you come here? 

With whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your presumption and 

evilness of heart; for you came down that you might see the battle.” 

1 Samuel 17:28

 

“With whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness?”

 

Did David’s brother have an understanding of what was happening in the wilderness with

those “few sheep”?

I don’t think he had the slightest clue.

The place of isolation was very important. It prepared David to fight Goliath and win!

It prepared him for the things God planned for him.

 

So today, don’t underestimate what God is doing in you and through you. He has not forgotten you.

He is working in and through the circumstances you are facing and even though it may seem like

you are alone you are not.

I was getting frustrated with where I was in my life but I began to realize that God was in total control.

He IS in total control and there is nothing that happens in my life or your life that catches

Him by surprise. You may have been in a place for a long time and it seems like things won’t change

but I am here to say that things will change for you. God is faithful and will not abandon you.

Man will let you down but not God. Look to Him alone.

He sees you in your place of isolation!

Bless you friends

 

Rolain

 

 

He remembers us…..!!

“Then he restored the chief butler to his butlership again, and he placed the cup in

Pharaoh’s hand. But he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them.

Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.”

Genesis 40:21, 22

 

The butler was restored to his position just as Joseph said but he forgot to tell Pharaoh about him

for two whole years! I can only imagine what was going on in Joseph’s mind. Was he expecting to be

released the next day or the very hour the butler was released??

But hours, turned to days, and days into weeks, and weeks into months and months into years.

It must have been hard for him.

Did the thought cross his mind that YAH had forgotten him?

I don’t know.

 

But one thing is clear, even though the butler forgot about him, YAH had not. Joseph was very much

on His mind. It may have looked like he had been forgotten but he was very much on YAH’s mind.

After two full years Joseph was freed from prison and his life turned around in a way he never imagined.

 

Does YAH forget us? Does He get absent minded about His children?

Not a chance! We are always on His mind.

Man will forget but not YAH.

The butler let Joseph down but YAH never does! We can rely on that.

If you feel like YAH has forgotten you know that you are on His mind always. He will never forget you.

You are not forgotten.

 

Bless you

 

Rolain

 

 

 

 

 

Will you wait….???

 

Be strong and let your heart take courage,

all you who wait for and hope for and expect

the Lord!

Psalm 31:24

 

If you think waiting on God is a walk in the

park think again……

If you have really waited on God you will

know the truth. It’s a fight to wait.

Psalm 31 captures it perfectly.

Waiting is not for the faint of heart.

The word says take courage!

 

There have been things I have been waiting

on God for. I have been waiting for months

and years! It’s been such a test. But do I regret

the wait? Not on your life. The waiting was needed.

It played an important part in my growth as a son

of God and it still does…..!

You see, waiting reveals where you are really

at with God. It reveals your heart.

 

The Israelites saw that they were in trouble.

They felt trapped. They ran away to hide in

caves and cracks in the rock. They hid among

the rocks, in wells, and in other holes in the

ground.

Some Hebrews even went across the Jordan

river to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul was

still at Gilgal. All the men in his army were

shaking in fear.

Samuel said he would meet Saul at Gilgal.

Saul waited there seven days. But Samuel

had not yet come to Gilgal, and the soilders

began to leave Saul. So Saul said, “Bring

me the burnt offerings and the fellowship

offerings.” Then Saul offered the burnt

offering.

As soon as Saul finished offering that sacrifice,

Samuel arrived. Saul went out to meet him.

Samuel asked, “What have you done?”

1 Samuel 13:6-11

 

There is such an important lesson in this story.

Waiting is its own kind of fire. The offering of the

burnt offering was reserved for the priest but

Saul even though was king did it.

God has a reason for making us wait and even

though we don’t understand we must wait. I

have been waiting for a long time for a lot

of things. It has been hard I must admit but I

see it’s what I must do.

God is in control even though it’s hard to see

at times.

 

If you are waiting for God, be strong. It takes a

strong person to wait on the Lord.

Let your heart take courage. The enemy wants us

to panic and take matters in our own hands.

Waiting is one of the greatest acts of trust we can

perform to God.

Impatience shows God our lack of trust in Him.

God’s promise to you may take weeks, months or

years but wait!! He can be trusted…….

He is working in the waiting! Some of His most

important work happens in the waiting so don’t

despise it.

Don’t lose heart….

You are on His heart….

He has not forgotten about you…..

He is true to His word…..

Amen

 

Rolain

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have forgotten God…..!

Young women don’t forget their jewelry, do they? 

Brides don’t show up without their veils, do they? 

But my people forget me.

Day after day after day they never give me a thought. Jeremiah 2:32

I read this scripture today and I was so convicted. In this chapter God was speaking

to Israel and it is easy to think those words only applied to them but that is not true.

I too have forgotten God!! How so you may be asking???

 

I forget God every time I spend countless hours on Facebook instead of spending time with Him, 

I forget God when I choose to watch a movie instead of spending time with Him, 

I forget God when I don’t deliberately take the time to worship Him during the week, 

I forget Him when I choose to do everything else but spend time with Him!!!

 

Facebook, talking to friends and being on a phone are not bad in themselves. They become bad when they become the MAIN things and GOD and His word come second!! God wants to be first and EXPECTS to be first in my life and anything else that takes His place is an idol……!!!

Please forgive me for forgetting You Lord. You are THE most important thing in my life, not the second most important thing but the MOST  important thing! Help me to NEVER forget You all of my days……..Amen

Rolain

 

 

 

A testimony within the scars……

Scars, everybody has some sort of scar be it physical or emotional. When you get hurt a scar is made and usually a scar is for life. It will be with you for the rest of your life. A lot of people see scars as a bad thing because it reminds them of a very difficult season in their lives or it may remind them of a very specific event in their life.

I have physical scars and emotional scars. As I look in the mirror I see the scars and they remind me of a time I was physically abused as a child. Then there are the emotional scars. Certain situations trigger them, for example Father’s day. It reminded me of an absentee father who was abusive and I wanted to have nothing to do with. But thank God that has changed!

I have been taught to see my scars differently. I have been taught to see them as a testimony. What do I mean by that?
I mean, my scar can be a testimony to myself and someone else. They can be encouraged and know they are not alone because of what I went through. It’s a testimony because the enemy didn’t win. I am still here. A testimony because it can be a tool to impact a whole lot of people. I can look at the scars and realise that God saved me from the pain. In the darkest time of my life he came through. But it needs me to get the focus off myself and start focusing on others.

Yes I had a difficult time growing up. Yes it was devastating.

But I see how God had a plan in all of this. God wanted to use the pain I had gone through to minister to people but my perspective had to change.
God is good and He has a plan. He always has a plan……

A lot of people have gone through a lot of bad stuff and in no way am I suggesting you just forget and act like nothing happened. You were abused, taken advantage of, raped, robbed, ignored and a whole host of other unspeakable, horrible, evil things. It takes time for pain to heal. A lot of prayer, a lot of help, a lot of people standing by your side helping you. It takes God’s mercy and grace and power for healing to happen.

This post is to let you know that God has a plan for you. Your scars are a reminder of the pain you went through and you can stop there but realise your scars can be a testament of God’s saving power and it can save a lot of people because there is a testimony within your scars!

 Rolain