At the end of every year, I set aside some time to review the previous 12 months and record God's faithfulness to me and my family. I may leaf through a calendar, my appointment book, or prayer diary to jog my memory. Then, on a piece of paper labeled "God's Faithfulness" I'll write everything that comes to mind as evidence of God's love and care. It's a wonderful way to look back at the year and look forward to a fresh beginning.

My list will certainly include instances of God's grace and provision. But it will also chronicle God's presence during times of difficulty and disappointment. And it must include my failures and sins, which He has been "faithful and just" to forgive (1 John 1:9).

The prophet Jeremiah found that God's trustworthiness appeared as a light during the darkness of desperate circumstances. In his lament over the destruction of Jerusalem, Jeremiah wrote, "Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness" (Lamentations 3:22-23).

Today, why not take time to record God's faithfulness to you and thank Him for it.  —David McCasland  — David C. McCasland