One of the blessings of walking with the Lord for many years revolves around the fact that maturity brings good memories if you work at it. In Proverbs 1: 27 & 33 I read, “when your fear comes as desolation and your destruction comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you… whoever listens to me will dwell safely, and will be secure from fear of evil.” When these times come, we must choose to remember how He has delivered us before.

One would think that this would become more easily with time. It does, but we almost always have to do the choosing again. I’m convinced that one of the reasons why baby Christians commonly have fewer trials comes from the Lord’s mercy. He knows the babe has no history with Him. As we grow in the Lord, trials come—often many of them. Having few trials truly reveals our lack of character. The seemingly blessed believer either has trials that are not visible to others, or God protects such a believer from trials because He knows that he or she could not handle the anxiety, difficulty, or pressure.

Yes, maturity brings good memories

The normal life of a believer shows this general pattern: trial, deliverance, and blessing. In this day and age, this pattern repeats rapidly. To a certain extent, our deliverance comes more quickly if we immediately praise the Lord for His promise and trustworthiness. Jesus told us that we would have tribulation in the world. The Greek word thlipsis means affliction. I’ve heard that expressed as pressure or stress. But part of the definition mentions difficulty and catastrophe.

Thankfully, the Lord can be trusted to bring us through these times. It can be painful. It’s often difficult. But the result is deliverance and increased faith. Faith can be defined as trusting in One who is able.  We learn that He has indeed overcome the world. The memories of these resolved difficulties become part of the foundation of our faith.

Yes, Jesus is trustworthy!