The Wonders He Has Done
by Sharon W. Betters
Today’s Treasure
Many times I had to force myself to stop crying so that I could keep writing, not just because of the memory of God’s sweet love but also as I stepped back into those early years of grief. I sometimes cried out, “Lord, this is more than I can bear. I can’t do this. Please take this task from me.” And God smiled as He held me tightly in His grip.
When I told Chuck I didn’t think I could continue to write, he exhorted me, “Write for your children and grandchildren. Don’t think about anyone else reading this book. Some day life will crush them and they will need a guide, someone further along in a similar pathway. Maybe the Lord will use our story to encourage them to walk by faith and believe that God is sovereign and they can trust Him.”
It’s in those dark places that God sends treasures, to help turn our hearts toward Him, to remind us that He knows us and calls us by name (Isaiah 45:2-3). That's one reason I encourage women to journal, to keep a record, not just for herself, but for those who come after her, as a means to tell the story of God's grace again and again. In Today’s Treasure the writer of Psalm 78 declares:
I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter hidden things from of old - what we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power, and the wonders He has done.
Psalm 78:2-4 NIV
The older I grow, the more I want to tell the next generation of "things hidden from of old....the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power, and the wonders He has done." Oh how those coming after us need to hear and see this message lived out, that our God is our Rock, Rest, Rescue and Refuge.
The Apostle Paul, writing from a prison cell, tells Timothy that "the time has come for my departure" and in the next few verses Paul repeatedly declares the "praiseworthy deeds of the Lord." Writing from a prison cell, over and over again, Paul reminds Timothy of the history of God's gracious care of him and that he confidently awaits the Lord's rescue from every evil attack. Paul is writing from a prison cell but he is free! Our circumstances sometimes feel like a prison cell, holding us back from our dreams and plans. As we age, we may feel as though our bodies are prison cells, limiting us from doing what we wish or may have always done. Take a page from Paul's last words; recognize that even from a prison, there is still more to do, tell His story in your life to the next generation.
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PRAYER
Lord, the world shifts beneath our feet and we desperately reach for something to steady us. Thank you for being that Rock that cannot be moved, our Refuge, Rest and Rescue.
Sharon is a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, pastor’s wife, and cofounder of MARKINC Ministries, where she is the Director of Resource Development. Sharon is the author of several books, including Treasures of Encouragement, Treasures in Darkness, and co-author with Susan Hunt of Aging with Grace. She is the co-host of the Help & Hope podcast and writes Daily Treasure, an online devotional.
Contact Sharon with comments or questions at dailytreasure@markinc.org.
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