The Good Old Days

Often more mature people look at the things going on around them, think back to how things were in the past and talk about the “good old days.” Probably everybody has some good memories. Maybe it was the puppy you got for Christmas, the family camping trip, or some award received. Perhaps you remember a few years later when you fell in love, said “I do,” and later had your first child. Many Christians think of the “good old days” as those years when the Bible and prayer were still in the schools; churches held week-long revivals and many people got saved; families did things together, and friends communicated face-to-face. Sometimes they enjoy just sitting around reliving those days, talking about how good they were, and wishing they were still the same.

But maybe there are even better reasons to remember and talk about the past. The Lord often tells us to remember. In Psalms, we are told to remember and trust in the name of the Lord (20:7). We are to remember His marvelous works, His wonders, His judgments (105:5), His tender mercies and loving-kindnesses (25:6), and His commandments (103:18). We are to remember Him in the middle of the night (63:6) or when we are discouraged (42:6). King David said that when his heart was empty and his spirit overwhelmed, he would remember the past days and meditate on God’s works (143:4-5). But what are some of those marvelous works in our lives? He has opened doors that seemed tightly closed, saved friends and family members whose hearts were hardened, brought in financial blessings from unexpected sources at just the right time, given peace in times of confusion, prevented our wrong decisions and directions, given safety on the highways when it seemed we wouldn’t be able to stop or get out of the way of another car, helped us to remember verses we did not even realize we knew, and answered our prayers for numerous needs.

With everyone talking about the new normal, the trials of the past year, and the uncertainty of the future, now would be a good time for us to remember what God has done for us. But our God has not changed, and He will not change. Let’s remember His “marvelous works” knowing He can, and He is willing to do them again.