Remember

Luke 24:8
And they remembered His words.....

The women had gone to the tomb of Jesus to prepare the body for a proper burial.
A noble gesture on their part, since His own disciples had scattered like the wind, fearing for their lives. Encountering two messengers sent from God, the women fell on their faces. The angels recounted the words of Jesus that the women had heard Him say before His death. As the message fell upon their ears, Scripture says that "They remembered His words."  

To remember the words of Christ opens the door to new hope. It bridges the gap between belief and the reality of the moment. To remember the words of Jesus is part of the work that the Holy Spirit does in us as we seek to follow Him each day.
To remember is the connection between the "Now and the not yet". To be tied to something greater than myself or my current situation, that brings me the assurance that God is still in control and I've nothing to fear.

John 14:24 reads: He (the Holy Spirit) will teach you all things, and bring to you remembrance all things that I said to you. That means when I study Scripture, even though my conscious mind may loose it...I may forget it, that, if needed for the moment, the Holy Spirit will bring it back because the words have importance for the situation I am facing. This is a part of relationship with Jesus that we have to work on and grow in. I guess the prayer I pray the most daily is, "Lord, I need to hear you!" I need your instruction, your guidance for this day. I do not have the luxury of just walking around willy-nilly hoping that God keeps me from going over the edge. Even though that is true, God's heart is for me to keep me from going over the edge, I have to listen for Him and not keep heading as fast as I can "to the edge".  Kind of like trying to walk out this new life of sobriety and recovery, yet you keep going to the bars and places you know you don't need to be hanging around. Somehow I keep hearing the words of Steve Yarbrough, "Jesus will save your soul, but He won't keep you sober."  There in is the need to be connected to Christ, to fill myself with God's Holy Spirit, and His word, that I might not make those destructive choices. That when life is a struggle between the old way and the new way....between going back to using, or pushing ahead in sobriety, I will remember His words. Not only will I remember them, I will act on them. 

Be strong and courageous this day....
Count it a blessing that you got up sober this morning.
You have been given an incredible gift this morning. Another opportunity to grow in Christ a little more.
To put one more day between you and your past.
Make this day count.

God on you...
mb