I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.

Psalm 77:11-12

As the year rapidly concludes, it's easy to look ahead with a sense of anxiety about the future or to be overwhelmed by the challenges that still linger. The psalmist, however, offers a powerful antidote to this forward-looking stress: intentional, backward-looking remembrance. Like the prophet Simeon and Anna, who reflected on God’s work in the past before seeing the infant Christ , reflecting on God's mighty deeds in the past year is essential to maintaining faith and overcoming anxiety about the future.

The command to "remember the deeds of the Lord" is a crucial spiritual discipline. When we are caught in a hurried, anxious cycle, our perspective shrinks to only the immediate problem. We forget the long, consistent history of God's faithfulness. The psalmist chooses to actively meditate on God's works and consider His mighty deeds, not just in general terms, but specifically in his own life. This is the bedrock of an unhurried faith: choosing to anchor your hope in the proven track record of God’s providence, rather than the fickle nature of your present circumstances.

We need to actively trace God's hand through the year. Where did He show up unexpectedly? Where did a planned difficulty turn into a surprising provision? By recalling those specific instances, we build a testimony that stands against the fear of the unknown. This remembrance is not merely nostalgia; it's a theological act that asserts, "The God who was faithful then will be faithful now." It gives us the patience of divine timing and the acceptance of God's pace, which is often unhurried. This intentional act of remembering fortifies our hearts and allows us to face the coming year not with worry, but with a settled, unhurried confidence in the Lord's enduring power.

Write down three specific instances from the past year where God showed up unexpectedly, and thank Him for His faithfulness.

Questions for Reflection

1. What specific anxiety about the future are you carrying right now, and how does your act of remembrance contradict that anxiety?

2. Thinking about the three instances you wrote down, what is the single most important lesson about God's character (e.g., His patience, provision, or power) that you learned this year?

How can you transform the habit of worrying about the future into a habit of meditating on God's past faithfulness throughout the coming year?